UCLA Study Finds Creatine Boosts 2 Immune Cell Types to Strengthen Cancer Immunotherapy
Updated
Updated · SciTechDaily · Jul 8
UCLA Study Finds Creatine Boosts 2 Immune Cell Types to Strengthen Cancer Immunotherapy
3 articles · Updated · SciTechDaily · Jul 8
Summary
Mouse and human-cell experiments found creatine strengthened not only cancer-killing T cells but also dendritic cells, broadening its potential role in immunotherapy support.
Tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells showed elevated creatine-transporter activity, and cells engineered without that transporter survived less well, activated poorly and primed weaker T-cell attacks.
Daily creatine injections in melanoma mice slowed tumor growth and increased the number and activity of dendritic cells in tumors, while metabolomics linked supplementation to higher ATP energy levels.
Human monocyte-derived dendritic cells also became more active with creatine and stimulated stronger T-cell responses, suggesting a possible use in improving dendritic-cell cancer vaccines.
Only 20% to 40% of patients benefit from current T-cell-focused immunotherapies, but the UCLA team said its findings are preclinical and need clinical trials before any treatment recommendations.
Creatine may boost immunity, but could it also accelerate the spread of certain cancers?
Could a popular workout supplement make expensive cancer therapy work for millions more patients?
Creatine Supercharges Dendritic Cells: A New Frontier in Cancer Immunotherapy
Overview
Recent research from UCLA has revealed a breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy by showing that supporting the energy metabolism of immune cells, especially dendritic cells, can strengthen the body’s fight against cancer. Dendritic cells play a key role in starting and shaping the immune response by capturing and presenting tumor antigens to T cells, which then attack cancer cells. By ensuring these cells have enough metabolic support, such as through creatine, the entire anti-tumor response becomes more effective and sustained. This discovery points to a promising new strategy for improving cancer treatment by focusing on the metabolic needs of immune cells.