Creatine’s Potential in Cancer Immunotherapy
Recent research from UCLA suggests that creatine, commonly known for enhancing muscle performance, may also bolster the immune system’s ability to combat tumors. A study published in iScience reveals that dendritic cells within mouse tumors increased their capacity to absorb creatine, a process essential for their function. When scientists inhibited this creatine transporter, the dendritic cells displayed reduced survival and failed to adequately prep cancer-fighting T-cells.
In experiments involving daily creatine injections in mice, researchers observed a slowdown in melanoma growth, along with a rise in both the number and functionality of tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells. Furthermore, tests conducted on human dendritic cells corroborated that creatine enhances their T-cell activating abilities, suggesting a potential improvement in dendritic cell-based cancer vaccines.
However, the research team emphasizes that these findings are preliminary. They caution against cancer patients independently using creatine supplements before verifying through clinical trials whether it can safely augment existing immunotherapies.
