A mechanistic view of the use of cold temperature in the treatment of cancer.

In their latest article, Seki and colleagues investigate the potential role of cold as a therapeutical option to treat various cancer types, including even clinically untreatable cancers such as pancreatic cancers. The authors suggest that cold exposure may have a tumor-suppressive effect mediated by the activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT), in charge of dissipating heat through non-shivering thermogenesis. In this regard, circulating blood glucose is decreased, restricting the tumor glucose uptake, which is redistributed, favoring BAT uptake to fuel thermogenesis..