Creatine May Boost Immune Response Against Cancer, Study Finds

The popular sports supplement creatine, known for boosting strength and muscle mass, may have a new use: helping fight cancer. Scientists have discovered that creatine can enhance the body's immune response against tumors, reports infohub.kz.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, led by Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Lily Yang. They examined immune cells in lab conditions, ran experiments on tumor-bearing mice, and analyzed human immune cells.

The focus was on dendritic cells, which are the first to recognize tumor cells and trigger an immune response by activating T-lymphocytes that then destroy cancer cells. It turned out that dendritic cells need creatine for normal function. When cells lost the ability to absorb this substance, they survived worse, activated more weakly, and presented tumor antigens to T-lymphocytes less effectively. As a result, the immune response against the tumor became weaker.

Conversely, adding creatine enhanced dendritic cell function: they produced more signaling molecules and activated T-lymphocytes more effectively. In experiments on mice with melanoma, daily creatine administration slowed tumor growth. The animals had increased numbers of active dendritic cells and a stronger anti-tumor immune response.

The authors believe creatine could potentially complement current immunotherapy methods. Unlike many existing approaches that primarily target T-lymphocytes, creatine may boost an earlier stage of immune defense: activating dendritic cells.

However, it is too early to draw firm conclusions. The study does not prove that creatine helps treat or prevent cancer in humans. The safety, efficacy, and optimal doses for cancer patients have not yet been studied in clinical trials. Moreover, some preclinical studies have linked creatine to increased metastasis in certain tumor models. Therefore, experts do not recommend considering it a cancer treatment until large clinical studies are conducted.

Scientists believe the findings open a new avenue for developing anti-tumor immunotherapy, but for now creatine remains only a promising subject for further research.