BDH2 and familial pancreatic carcinoma: In organs other than the liver, BDH2 dehydrates β-hydroxybutyric acid to form one of the endogenous ketone body molecules, acetoacetate,9 considered to be a nutritional source for tumours carrying the V600E mutant form of BRAF protooncogene.33,34 Interestingly, ketone bodies also reduce the growth of pancreatic cancer and cause apoptosis.35 We found that restoring the expression of BDH2 in NPC cells increased the intracellular acetoacetate level.