Creatine may supercharge cancer-fighting immune cells, UCLA study finds
A UCLA study reports that creatine, the common workout supplement, energizes dendritic cells, the immune cells that detect tumors and switch on cancer-killing T cells. In mice with melanoma, daily creatine slowed tumor growth and boosted these cells inside the tumor. The work was
Researchers at UCLA report in the journal iScience that creatine, best known as a workout supplement, strengthens dendritic cells, the immune cells that detect tumors and activate the killer T cells that destroy them. In lab work, creatine raised the internal energy inside these cells and sustained their activation signals, acting like a battery that keeps them working even when fast-growing tumors compete for nutrients. In mice with melanoma, daily creatine injections slowed tumor growth and increased both the number and activity of dendritic cells inside the tumor. This matters because most approved immunotherapies target killer T cells directly, yet only about 20 to 40 percent of patients respond; supporting the dendritic cells that train those T cells could widen who benefits. The study used mouse models and human cells, not patients. Senior author, immunologist Lili Yang, says clinical studies are the necessary next step. Sources: UCLA Health, iScience.