Creatine May Help Immune Cells Fight Cancer, UCLA Finds

A supplement sitting in gym bags across America might one day help save lives in a completely unexpected way.

UCLA researchers found that creatine, best known for boosting athletic performance, also supercharges the immune cells responsible for detecting cancer and launching attacks against it. The study, published in iScience, shows the supplement energizes dendritic cells, which act as the body's cancer surveillance system and activate killer T cells.

The discovery builds on previous work showing creatine helps those T cells fight tumors. Together, the findings suggest creatine supports the entire immune response against cancer, not just one piece of it.

"Creatine doesn't just help the T cells fighting cancer, it also energizes the entire infrastructure that supports and guides them," said Dr. Lili Yang, the study's senior author and a professor at UCLA's Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research.

The research could eventually address a major problem with current cancer immunotherapy. While these treatments have transformed care for some patients, only 20% to 40% experience meaningful benefits. Yang's team believes strengthening dendritic cells, which coordinate the immune attack, could help immunotherapy work for more people.

The scientists first examined dendritic cells that had entered tumors in mice. They discovered these cells produced much more of the protein that transports creatine into cells compared to dendritic cells in healthy tissue. When researchers engineered cells without this transporter, they survived less effectively and struggled to prepare T cells for battle.

Daily creatine injections in mice with melanoma significantly slowed tumor growth. The supplement increased both the number and activity of dendritic cells infiltrating tumors, and boosted the chemical signals that attract additional immune cells to the fight.

The team discovered creatine works by increasing ATP levels inside dendritic cells. ATP powers nearly every cellular process, and the extra energy helps maintain the inflammatory signaling pathways dendritic cells need to stay active. Researchers compared creatine to a rechargeable battery, letting immune cells store and release energy even while competing with hungry tumor cells for nutrients.

The Bright Side

The UCLA team also tested creatine on human immune cells in the lab. The supplement enhanced activation of the dendritic cells commonly used to develop cancer vaccines and improved their ability to stimulate human T cells against cancer targets.

This opens two potential paths forward. Patients receiving immunotherapy might benefit from creatine supplementation to boost their immune response. Scientists could also add creatine when producing dendritic cell vaccines to make those treatments more effective from the start.

The researchers emphasize these experiments were conducted in mice and laboratory-grown cells, not actual cancer patients. Human trials are still needed to determine whether creatine can safely and effectively support cancer treatment in people.

Still, the findings reveal a promising new role for an inexpensive, widely available supplement that scientists are only beginning to fully understand.