Our observation that treatment of cancer cells expressing MCT2 with β-hydroxybutyrate, a weak HDAC inhibitor, increased acetylation of histones, and upregulated expressions of IL-1β and LCN2 (Figs 5 and 6), is consistent with low dose effect of HDAC inhibitor as reported46, 47, 48. This evidence concerns the gene SLC16A7 and cancer.