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Anti-Malaria Drug Fights Cancer, 9 Peer-Reviewed Studies Suggest

AHA Publisher — Wed, 11 May 2022 07:00:55 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – Can a cheap drug used to fight malaria have a protective effect against cancer? As it turns out, data from at least nine peer-reviewed studies say yes. The drug in question? None other than ivermectin has gained much notoriety thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about widespread suppression of early treatments for the viral illness. Nobel Prize-Winning Drug, Considered One of the World’s “Essential Medicines” by the World Health Organization, Also Shows Promise in the Fight Against Cancer Ivermectin certainly became a household name during the pandemic, thanks largely to early laboratory research showing that the drug could inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2. While these findings – featured in a June 2020 study by Caly et al. published in Antiviral Research – involved Petri dishes only, the researchers’ work was corroborated with plenty of real-world clinical evidence, as doctors worldwide began treating their COVID-19 positive patients with ivermectin. The treatment appeared to be a great success, at least before health officials began prohibiting or otherwise disincentivizing these doctors from prescribing the drug. However, the apparent success of ivermectin in treating a viral illness like COVID-19 isn’t unusual when we consider the history of the drug. The drug first made the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines in 1987 for its effectiveness against onchocerciasis or river blindness. Ivermectin also has uses against other parasitic diseases, including lymphatic filariasis, strongyloidiasis, trichuriasis, ascariasis, hookworm diseases, scabies, and ancylostomiasis. (Scientists Satoshi Omura and William Campbell were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015 for their work in using ivermectin to treat roundworms.) Research – including a study published in the April 2020 edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases – also finds that ivermectin appears to have anti-malarial benefits. But the benefits don’t stop there. Rounded up nicely in an article published on April 15, 2022, on the website Cancer.news, at least nine peer-reviewed studies show that ivermectin may be able to fight off cancer cells. Among the studies is a 2017 paper from Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, which found that ivermectin could suppress kidney tumor growth while concurrently offering a protective effect on healthy kidney cells. In the Fight Against Cancer, Will Affordable Drug Options Remain Available? A growing body of research shows early support for ivermectin in the treatment of a wide variety of cancers, including kidney, breast, intestinal, lung, colorectal, esophageal, and ovarian cancers. Experts agree that ivermectin appears to have a generally good safety profile. However, as with any drug, ivermectin does have a risk of side effects, including dizziness, vomiting, stomach pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, fatigue, uncontrollable shaking, and chest discomfort. The drug’s package insert also warns against the use of ivermectin during pregnancy (Pregnancy Category C), in part because there are “no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women” (nor in pediatric kids weighing less than 15kg, for that matter). The drug is also excreted in breastmilk. Contraindications notwithstanding, it remains to be seen whether the medical and scientific communities will further study this compound for its use against cancer. Then again, the skeptics among us will say that the drug is incredibly inexpensive compared to other conventional cancer treatments … so why would conventional healthcare providers pass on the opportunity to drive profits with pricier care? Sources for this article include: NIH.gov FDA.gov Cancer.news NIH.gov Medlineplus.gov Essentialmeds.org NIH.gov USAtoday.com To read the original article click here.

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Sunshine Lowers Cancer Risk?

AHA Publisher — Mon, 17 May 2021 07:00:33 +0000

Al Sears MD – [F]or years I’ve been reminding my patients that getting natural vitamin D from the sun is one of the best all-around cancer-fighters. A new study confirms… Spending Time Outdoors LOWERS Your Risk of Cancer According to this latest study, researchers report that spending 20 years or more working outside in the sun actually REDUCED a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.1 Researchers looked at 38,375 women under the age of 70 who were diagnosed with the disease. Then they compared each patient to five control patients who were all born the same year. Full employment history was reviewed. The researchers were stunned to find that not only was there no association with working outside in the sunlight to overall breast cancer risk… But that long-term occupational exposure was associated with a 17% reduced risk of breast cancer after age 50. These Danish scientists may have been surprised. But I’m not. In fact, studies show that the “sunshine” vitamin can:2,3,4,5,6 Target the genes responsible for cancer-cell proliferation Change cancer cells into normal cells Stop cancer cells from multiplying into tumors Help prevent certain cancers from spreading Regulate your immune response to cancer Prevent up to 17 different types of cancer, including prostate, bladder, uterine, and stomach Vitamin D can even prolong the lives of existing cancer patients. These findings from Denmark were published only a few weeks after another study looked at human migration over the last 500 years. This research, published by Oxford University, found that as people moved from areas of intense sunlight to regions where sunlight was low, the number of people with a vitamin D deficiency surged.7 In America, that number is almost 70%.8 In addition to cancer, a vitamin D deficiency increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, colds and viruses, depression, osteoporosis, and all-cause mortality. To overcome a vitamin D shortfall and improve almost every aspect of health, I advise my patients to get plenty of sunshine. To get the most vitamin D in the least amount of time, I recommend getting outside between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. That’s when the sun is highest and rays are strongest so you can get some good exposure over a short time. As little as 10 minutes in the midday sun can give you 10,000 IU of vitamin D. Boost Your Cancer-Fighting D Levels But sitting in the sun isn’t the only way to boost this vitamin… I also recommend that you: Eat sun-dried mushrooms. Next to sunlight, this is your best source of vitamin D. When shitake mushrooms are placed in the sun for six hours, their vitamin D levels skyrocket – from 110 IU per 100 grams to 46,000! The best source of D after the sun. Next to sunlight, cod liver oil is the best source of vitamin D, providing 1,360 IUs in just a single teaspoon per day. If cod liver oil isn’t your thing, increase the amount of wild-caught fatty fish you eat. Salmon, tuna, herring, and anchovies are good sources. Don’t skip the yolk. But do choose pasture-raised eggs. Compared to conventionally raised chickens, eggs from free range chickens have four times more vitamin D. D3 Power in a Pill. Choose a vitamin D3 supplement called cholecalciferol, which is identical to the vitamin D3 that your body produces. Be sure to avoid the synthetic, less potent and less absorbable vitamin D2 form you find in many multivitamins. Get between 5,000 and 10,000 IUs a day. [i] Pedersen J, et al. “Occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet B radiation and risk of subtypes of breast cancer in Danish women.” Occup Environ Med. 2021 Apr;78(4):286-292. [ii] Johnson CS, et al. “Vitamin D-related therapies in prostate cancer.” Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2002;21(2):147-58. [iii] Maruyama R, et al. “Comparative genome analysis identifies the vitamin D receptor gene as a direct target of p53-mediated transcriptional activation.” Cancer Res. 2006;66(9):4574-4583. [iv] Aranow C. “Vitamin D and the immune system.” J Investig Med. 2011;59(6):881–886. [v] Shokravi MT, et al. “Vitamin D inhibits angiogenesis in transgenic murine retinoblastoma.” Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1995;36(1):83-87. [vi] Lappe JM, et al. “Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85(6):1586-1591 [vii] Andersen T, et al. “Historical migration and contemporary health.” (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model) [viii] Tovey A. “Are we currently amid a vitamin D pandemic?” Vitamin D Council. November 18, 2016. Accessed May 14, 2018. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Al Sears, MD click here.

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Are Lectins in Food Good or Bad for You?

AHA Publisher — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 07:00:57 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via NutritionFacts – Might lectins help explain why those who eat more beans and whole grains have less cancer? Lectins are to blame for the great “white kidney bean incident” of 2006 in Japan. One Saturday evening, a TV program introduced a new method to lose weight. The method was simple: toast some dry, raw, white kidney beans in a frying pan for three minutes, grind the beans into a powder, and then dust it onto rice. Within days, a thousand people fell ill, some with such severe diarrhea and vomiting they ended up in the hospital. Why? Lectin poisoning. Three minutes of dry heat is not enough to destroy the toxic lectins in kidney beans. If you don’t presoak them, you need to boil large kidney beans for a full hour to completely destroy all the lectins, though if you first soak them overnight 98 percent of the lectins are gone after boiling for just 15 minutes and all are gone by half an hour, as you can see at 0:44 in my video Are Lectins in Food Good or Bad for You?. And, indeed, when researchers tested the white beans, they found that toasting them for three minutes didn’t do a thing. It’s no wonder people got sick. But, 95 percent of the lectins were inactivated after boiling them for three minutes and completely inactivated after ten minutes of boiling. Evidently, “‘Do not eat raw beans’ is a traditional admonition in Japan to prevent intestinal problems”—and now we know why. While canning may completely eliminate lectins from most canned beans, some residual lectin activity may remain in canned kidney beans, though apparently not enough to result in toxicity. And, ironically, “How doses of lectins may be beneficial by stimulating gut function, limiting tumor growth, and ameliorating obesity.” What? I thought lectins were toxic. For as long as people have speculated dietary lectins are harmful, others have conjectured that they may be protective. “If this theory is correct, appropriate lectins by mouth should be of use in the prophylaxis [prevention] (and possibly treatment) of colon cancer.” Or, of course, we could just eat our beans. Interest in the purported antitumor effect of plant lectins started with the discovery in 1963 that lectins could distinguish between cancer cells and normal cells. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found a substance in wheat germ—the lectin in whole wheat—that appeared to be “tumor cell specific,” clumping together the tumor cells, while the normal cells were left almost completely alone. In fact, it is so specific that you can take a stool sample from someone and, based on lectin binding to the colon lining cells that get sloughed off into the feces, effectively predict the presence of polyps and cancers. Subsequently, it was discovered that lectins couldn’t only distinguish between the two types of cells, but also extinguish the cancer cells, while largely leaving the normal cells alone. For example, that same white kidney bean lectin, as you can see at 2:53 in my video, was found to almost completely suppress the growth of human head and neck cancer cells, liver cancer cells, breast cancer cells, and cervical cancer cells (at least most of the way), within about three days—but that was in a petri dish. Those petri dish studies are largely the basis of the evidence for the antitumor activity of plant lectins. How do we even know dietary lectins are absorbed into our body? Colorectal cancer is one thing. The fact that lectins can kill off colon cancer cells in a petri dish may be applicable, since lectins we eat may come in direct contact with cancerous or precancerous cells in our colon, “providing a mechanism” by which bean consumption may help in “the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.” Even more exciting is the potential for effectively rehabilitating cancer cells. The “loss of differentiation and invasion are the histological hallmarks of malignant cells,” meaning that when a normal cell transforms into a cancer cell, it tends to lose its specialized function. Breast cancer cells become less breast-like, and colon cancer cells become less colon-like. What these researchers showed—for the first time—is that the lectin in fava beans could take colon cancer cells and turn them back into looking more like normal cells. As you can see at 4:13 in my video, before exposure to the fava bean lectins, the cancer cells were growing in amorphous clumps. But, after exposure to the fava bean lectins for two weeks, those same cancer cells started to go back to growing glandular structures like normal colon issue. Therefore, dietary lectins or putting them in a pill “may slow the progression of colon cancer,” potentially helping to explain why dietary consumption of beans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils appears to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer based on 14 studies involving nearly two million participants. Okay, but what about cancers outside of the digestive tract? “Although lectin containing foods,” like beans and whole grains, “are frequently consumed cooked or otherwise processed, these treatments may not always inactivate the lectins…For example, lectins have been detected in roasted peanuts….” Peanuts are legumes, and we don’t tend to eat them boiled but just roasted or even raw. Are we able to absorb the lectins into our system? Yes. As you can see at 5:12 in my video, within an hour of consumption of raw or roasted peanuts, you can detect the peanut lectin in the bloodstream of most people. Same with tomatoes. Some of the non-toxic lectin in tomatoes also makes it down into our gut and into our blood. Wheat germ agglutinin, the wheat lectin known as WGA, doesn’t seem to make it into our bloodstream, though, even after apparently eating the equivalent amount of wheat germ in more than 80 slices of bread. And, if you ate something like pasta, the boiling in the cooking process might wipe out the lectin in the first place anyway. In terms of phytochemicals in the fight against cancer, lectins are able to “resist digestion resulting in high bioavailability,” potentially allowing “the cellular mechanisms of the host to utilize the full potential of the…dramatic anti-cancer benefits” lectins have to offer. But, these dramatic benefits have yet to be demonstrated in people. We do know, however, that population studies show “that the consumption of a plant-based diet is strongly associated with a reduced risk of developing certain types of cancer.” People eating a plant-based diet could just be eating fewer carcinogens, but plants do have all those active components that do seem to protect against the “initiation, promotion, or progression” of cancer. So, maybe lectins are one of those protective compounds. We know people who eat more beans and whole grains tend to get less cancer overall, but we’re just not sure exactly why. Now, you could say, “Who cares why?” Well, Big Pharma cares. You can’t make as much money on healthy foods as you can on “lectin based drugs.” This article has been modified. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Greger click here.

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Best 6 Types of Cancer-Fighting Drinks

AHA Publisher — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:00:35 +0000

Jillian Levy, CHHC via Dr. Axe – Ask any expert, “What are the best ways to fight cancer?”, and you’ll likely be told advice such as to eat a healthy diet, exercise and avoid smoking. You’re probably aware of the protective effects that certain cancer-fighting foods, such leafy greens and berries for examples, can have on your immune system and overall health. Here’s more good news: Some of the most widely consumed beverages in the world have also been shown to be cancer-fighting drinks. Organizations like the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommend including drinks in your diet that provide vitamins and phytonutrients that have demonstrated anti-cancer effects. What are some examples? Coffee, green tea, red wine, and 100 percent vegetable and fruit juices are among the best choices. 6 Drinks that Fight Cancer What can you drink to prevent cancer? According to the latest research findings, beverages that should be included in a cancer-fighting diet include: 1. Coffee While the caffeine is coffee isn’t well-tolerated by some people, nutrition-rich coffee is also a concentrated source of antioxidant phytochemicals. These include theophylline and theobromine, chlorogenic acid (a powerful phenol), quinic acid, cafestol and kahweol. Certain studies have linked coffee consumption with reduced risk of liver, colorectal, endometrial, oral/pharyngeal and other cancers. And although some worry about the negative effects of caffeine/coffee on digestive health, there’s overall no evidence suggesting an association of coffee intake with cancers of the stomach, pancreas or GI cancers. 2. Green, Black and White Teas Black, green, white and also oolong teas (sometimes called “true teas”) are rich in many disease-fighting nutrients, such as catechins, polyphenol compounds, epigallocatechin gallate (or EGCG), flavonols and more. Researchers believe this to be the reason that long-term tea consumption is linked with lower risks for bladder, stomach and pancreatic cancers, among other types. Green tea is an exceptional source of EGCG, while other teas also provide epicatechin, epigallocatechin (EGC) and epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG). An article published in Cancer Metastasis Reviews states that “epidemiological studies have reported that the consumption of green tea may decrease cancer risk. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a major component of green tea, has been shown to inhibit tumor invasion and angiogenesis which are essential for tumor growth and metastasis.” Matcha green tea (whole green tea leaf that is stone ground) is another great option, since it’s rich in antioxidants that give it the ability to support the immune system. Lab studies have linked both types of green teas with reduced development of cancer in colon, liver, breast, lung and prostate cells. High amounts of polyphenols have also been identified in black tea and oolong tea. Flavonols including quercetin, kaempferol and myricetin are other compounds in true teas that help fight cancer. A 2018 article published in AntiCancer Research states that “Oolong tea, same as green tea, can induce DNA damage and cleavage, play an inhibitory role in breast cancer cell growth, proliferation and tumorigenesis, and was a great potential as a chemo-preventive agent against breast cancer.” 3. 100 Percent Vegetable Juices Having a daily serving of green vegetable juice, or another veggie juice/smoothie with pulp and fiber, is an easy way to boost your nutrient intake and help ward off chronic diseases, according to many studies. Good choices include freshly-pressed juices made with greens like spinach or kale, carrots, beets, tomatoes, celery, herbs and other vegetables. A large body of research shows that including a variety of vegetables in your diet can helps to lower the risk for many cancers, not to mention other chronic diseases. For example, juices made with dark greens provide you with antioxidants, such as carotenoids, which studies link with inhibited growth of a variety of cancer cells, including skin, lung, stomach and breast cancer. Tomato juice is another beneficial juice, as it’s a great source of beta carotene/vitamin A, vitamin C, lycopene and other carotenoids that have anti-cancer effects. Lycopene in tomato juice has been linked with protection against prostate cancer. Carrot juice is an excellent way to get more vitamin C, vitamin K, beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, luteolin, and flavonoid phytochemicals that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. If you’re willing to branch out from commonly eaten vegetables, consider adding superfood supplements to your veggie juices/smoothies such as spirulina, barley greens, wheatgrass or algae powders. When pulp is included, juices may be even more beneficial thanks to the fiber content, especially for colorectal health. 4. 100 Percent Fruit Juices (No Sugar-Added, In Small Quantities) Examples of healthy juices include those made from anti-cancer fruits such as cherries, blueberries, pomegranate, oranges, grapefruit and acai. Consuming juices made from dark-colored fruits such as berries is a powerful way to get more resveratrol and anthocyanins into your diet, which have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Grapefruit juice is another example that contains many phytochemicals that help defend against cancer according to research studies, such as naringenin and other flavonoids, limonin, beta-carotene, lycopene and vitamin C. Pomegranate juice provides polyphenols that have shown to have antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects, offering protection against prostate, lung, breast and other cancers. Research findings tell us that it’s important for fruit juices to be 100 percent fruit with no sugar added and no high fructose corn syrup, since high sugar consumption has been linked with increased risk for cancer and many other health problems. 5. Herbal Teas and Infusions The use of herbal remedies, which come in many forms, is considered “by far the most commonly used group of alternative treatments among cancer patients,” according to certain literature reviews. Various herbs, whether in tea or extract form, have been shown to offer therapeutic effects on cancer markers, plus they are considered safe, unlikely to cause side effects or dependency, and widely available. Herbal teas — which include ginger, chamomile, honeybush, dandelion, peppermint, chai, and a variety of Traditional Chinese medicine herbal blends — are caffeine-free and full of benefits, including supporting gut health and reducing inflammation. Herbal infusions are another great option, which are made by steeping herbs in water until the water absorbs the herb’s oils and therapeutic compounds. A 2019 review explains that herbal teas and infusions are made with herbs that may help offer protection against oxidative stress, certain types of cancers, and also digestive issues that can be caused by chronic illnesses and cancer treatments. According to a 2018 article published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, “Herbal teas/beverages are rich sources of natural bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, coumarins, alkaloids, terpenoids, among others.” These bioactive compounds have biological effects, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory actions. These teas are also made with water, which has far-reaching benefits of its own. Water is important for overall health because it increases urination and detoxification of potential cancer-causing compounds that can wind up in the bladder and elsewhere. 6. Red Wine (In Moderation) Red grapes and red wine are filled with cancer-fighting compounds called resveratrol. Studies suggest that chemicals found in wine can contribute to destruction of cancer cells and inhibition of cancer-cell growth. According to one study published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, “There is evidence that wine consumption decreases the risk of cancer at several sites, including cancer of upper digestive tract, lung, colon, basal cell carcinoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.” Red wine also seems to significantly reduce transcription of certain genes that increase cancer risk. The effects of mature, red wine on cancer cell phenotypes have been shown to be stronger than young, wine wines. Red wine seems to be especially beneficial for combatting colony formation of human breast cancer and esophageal carcinoma cells. However, keep in mind that research shows these positive effects on different human cancer lines occur in a dose-dependent manner, which seems too much alcohol may actually increase your cancer risk (more on this below). Dosage How much of these cancer-fighting drinks do you need to consume to reap their benefits? In terms of consumption and frequency, this depends on the type of drink. Here are some general guidelines according to most health experts: • Coffee: 1–2 cups may be best, however for most people up to 3 to 5 cups per day likely won’t lead to any negative effects. • Tea: several cups per day, or even more if the tea is herbal and uncaffeinated. • Vegetable juices: between 4 to 8 ounces daily. • Fruit juices: too much juice can be an extra source of sugar and calories, so small amounts are best, between 4 to 8 ounces daily for adults. Some experts recommend up to 8–12 ounces of veggie/fruit juices daily for children and teens between ages 7 to 18. • Wine: 1 to 2 drinks per day at most (2 or less is recommended for adult men, and 1 or less for women). If You Already Have Cancer What is good for cancer patients to drink? Doctors recommend these health-boosting beverages, which can help with hydration and provide key nutrients: • Water. Some cancer treatments may make plain water taste unappealing; in this case, drink more water that’s flavored including mineral water, seltzer or water with lemon or other fruit. • 100% fruit or vegetable juices, which can help prevent dehydration, plus provide electrolytes and antioxidants. • Coconut water or milk, a hydrating beverage with medium-chain triglycerides, a type of beneficial fatty acid that can help support gut health. Coconut milk (higher in fat) also contains some bacteria-fighting, antioxidant properties that support the immune system. • Herbal teas such as ginger tea or peppermint teas, which can help with nausea and other symptoms caused by treatments. • Kefir and organic milk (if tolerated), which provide many important vitamins and minerals, plus probiotics if fermented. • Bone broth, a unique source of difficult-to-get amino acids, collagen, trace minerals and electrolytes. If lack of appetite is an issue, try drinking most liquids at least a half-hour before or after meals to keep from feeling too full. Keep in mind that caffeine, sugary drinks and even sometimes fruit juices my lead to indigestion, so it might be necessary to limit these if diarrhea or nausea occur. Risks and Side Effects Just like there are some beverages and foods that can help to fight disease development, research tells us there are also potentially cancer-causing foods to avoid. Which drinks should you limit or ideally cut out from your diet? • Sugary drinks, including soda, energy drinks and juices, teas and coffee drinks with added sugar. Research has revealed a strong link between sugary drink consumption and risk for heart disease, obesity and diabetes, and now ongoing research is suggesting that these beverages can also put you at greater risk for certain cancers such as breast, pancreas, gallbladder and endometrial cancer. It’s believed this connection is due to mechanisms such as insulin resistance caused by consumption of a high glycemic load, as well as the effects of chemical compounds, additives and pesticides in sugary drinks which may have carcinogenic effects. • Alcohol in excess. While wine in moderation have protective effects against certain diseases, too much seems to do the opposite. High alcohol intake increases the risk of certain types of cancer development according to research studies, including colon/rectum, oral, liver, breast and other cancers. Final Thoughts • There’s evidence that as part of a healthy diet, certain drinks and foods can help stop cancer from forming or progressing. • Cancer-fighting drinks are those that provide important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals, in addition to hydrating water and in some cases probiotics. • What are the best choices? Coffee, green/black/white teas, 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices, herbal teas and red wine can all support your immune system and potentially lower the risk for cancer development. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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Creatine Powers T Cells’ fight Against Cancer

AHA Publisher — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 07:00:50 +0000

University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences via EurekAlert – Creatine, the organic acid that is popularly taken as a supplement by athletes and bodybuilders, serves as a molecular battery for immune cells by storing and distributing energy to power their fight against cancer, according to new UCLA research. The study, conducted in mice and published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, is the first to show that creatine uptake is critical to the anti-tumor activities of CD8 T cells, also known as killer T cells, the foot soldiers of the immune system. The researchers also found that creatine supplementation can improve the efficacy of existing immunotherapies. “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,” said Lili Yang, a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA and the study’s senior author. “This could provide a clear and expedient path forward for the use of creatine supplementation to enhance existing cancer immunotherapies.” The findings of the paper stem from the Yang lab’s research into the metabolic needs of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, immune cells that travel into tumors to fight cancer. Examining these cells, the team observed that killer T cells taken from inside of tumors possessed a large number of creatine transporter molecules, which sit on cells’ surfaces and control creatine uptake into cells. “As biologists, we are always asking ‘why?'” said Yang, who is also an assistant professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics and a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. “We could see that these tumor-battling T cells had increased their capacity to take in creatine, likely for a good reason, so we designed experiments to determine what happens when they can’t get it.” The lab genetically engineered mouse models so that their killer T cells were deficient in a gene called CrT, or Slc6a8, which is responsible for producing creatine transporter molecules. They found that mice whose killer T cells could not take in creatine were less capable of fighting tumors. The team then tried validating their hypothesis from the opposite angle, giving non-engineered mice a daily dose of creatine comparable to the safe dose recommended to athletes and bodybuilders. This creatine boost — which was given to some mice via injection and others as an oral supplement — made both groups better equipped to suppress both skin and colon cancer tumor growth. Related Articles: Memory T Cells Shelter in Bone Marrow, Boosting Immunity in Mice with Restricted Diets Anxiety Disorders Linked to Disturbances in the Cells’ Powerhouses “Taken together, these findings suggest that killer T cells really need creatine to fight cancer,” Yang said. “Without it, they simply can’t do their jobs effectively.” Creatine is naturally occurring in humans and other vertebrates; it is primarily produced in the liver and kidneys. Most humans take in additional creatine through their diets, with meat and fish as major sources. In addition to these natural sources, creatine supplements are widely popular among athletes and bodybuilders looking to gain muscle mass and improve performance. The popularity of creatine supplements stems from the knowledge that cells with high-energy demands, like those found in muscle and brain tissue, use creatine to store excess energy for when they most need it. These new findings add killer T cells to the list of creatine-dependent cells, all of which utilize two distinct sources of power, much like hybrid cars. The first power source is a metabolic process that is similar to a fuel engine, converting nutrients like glucose, amino acids and lipids into ATP, the energy currency of cells. The secondary power source is creatine, which — like a hybrid car’s battery — absorbs excess energy (in this case, ATP) and stores it to be released when fuel is in short supply to keep the cells working until more fuel can be burned. “This creatine-powered hybrid engine system enables killer T cells to make the most of their available energy supply in an environment where they have to compete with fast-growing tumor cells for nutrients,” Yang said. Next, the team tried combining creatine supplementation with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy, a form of cancer immunotherapy that prevents T cell exhaustion and has been approved to treat a broad range of cancers including melanoma, lymphoma, colon, lung, liver, kidney and cervical. They found that creatine supplementation and anti-PD-1 blockade therapy worked synergistically, tipping the metabolic scales in T cells’ favor and enabling them to avoid exhaustion and fight cancer effectively for an extended period. Four out of five mice that received this combination therapy were found to have completely eradicated their colon cancer tumors and remained tumor-free for over three months. Furthermore, when they were given a second round of tumor cells, all these “cancer survivor” mice were protected from tumor recurrence and remained tumor-free for an additional six months. As a next step, the team is repeating these experiments using special mouse models that harbor human tumor grafts and human immune cells. If they are able to replicate these effects in human cells, the team will work to determine the proper dose, timing and method to give people creatine supplements to enhance existing immunotherapies. Because the strategy has proven effective in mouse models of both melanoma and colon cancer, the team expects the findings could apply to a range of cancers. The experimental combination therapy described above was used in preclinical tests only and has not been tested in humans or approved by the Food and Drug Administration as safe and effective for use in humans. This newly identified therapeutic strategy is covered by a patent application filed by the UCLA Technology Development Group on behalf of the Regents of the University of California, with Yang and Stefano Di Biase as co-inventors. The researchers recommend that people consult a doctor before incorporating a new supplement such as creatine into their routine as supplements can carry risks of drug interactions and other harmful side effects. There is concern that long-term use of creatine at high doses could damage the liver, kidneys or heart. To read the original article click here.

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