Creatine – best known as a sports supplement that improves strength – could also help fight cancer, a study has suggested.
The cost-effective supplement not only boosts athletic performance but also a class of immune cells that activate and prepare the body to fight cancer, according to scientists at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).
Previous studies in mice found creatine powers killer T-cells – white blood cells that help the body destroy cancer cells and viruses. Now, the team has discovered that the supplement fuels dendritic cells, which capture tumour fragments and direct killer T-cells to attack.
Most immunotherapies work by targeting killer T-cells, but fewer than half of patients respond. But scientists have suggested creatine may help boost the treatment using its effect on dendritic cells.
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