October 22, 2019 - 13:29 AMT
Creatine powers may improve efficacy of immunotherapies

The immune system functions as the body’s defense against pathogens and harmful substances, including cancer cells. They protect the body against potential harm. In cases of cancer, though the body tries to fight the tumor cells, they may become too aggressive for the immune system to eradicate.

Creatine is a popular organic acid that is widely used as a supplement by bodybuilders and athletes. A new study has found that creatine is a potent molecular battery that powers the immune cells to better fight cancer.

In a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, creatine uptake is vial to the anti-tumor activities of CD8 T cells, also called killer T cells. These immune cells find and destroy infected cells that have been turned into virus-making factories.

The researchers at the University of California – Los Angeles Health Services conducted the study on mice showing taking creating supplements can make current immunotherapies more effective.

"Because oral creatine supplements have been broadly utilized by bodybuilders and athletes for the past three decades, existing data suggest they are likely safe when taken at appropriate doses. This could provide a clear and expedient path forward for the use of creatine supplementation to enhance existing cancer immunotherapies,” Lili Yang, a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA, said.