Recent research reveals that taurine – an amino acid naturally present in various foods and commonly included in energy drinks and food supplements – can involuntarily promote the growth of leukemic cells. This discovery raises concerns about the fact that the products marketed to improve energy levels could present a risk for patients with blood cancer during their treatment.
“Our work suggests that the development and test of effective inhibitors of the Taurine carrier could lead to new therapeutic options for these fatal cancers,” says Jeevisha Bajaj, assistant professor in the Biomedical Genetics Department of the Medical Center of the University of Rochester and the main study of the study.
How do leukemia cells feed?
The study, published in Naturesuggests that leukemic cells cannot produce taurine by themselves and rather divert specialized carriers to tear this amino acid directly from the bone marrow, where blood cancers come from. Once absorbed, taurine strengthens the capacity of cancer cells to decompose glucose to produce energy, fueling tumor growth and helping the disease to spread.
Using genetically modified mouse models, researchers have mapped the way the environment of bone marrow changes during the progression of leukemia.
They discovered that special cells forming the bones, called osteolinear cells, increase their production of taurine as the disease gets worse, thus nourishing cancer cells which try to destroy them.
The cancer cells depend on a specific transport protein to absorb taurine of the surrounding healthy tissues. Once inside leukemia cells, taurine promotes glycolysis, the process that cells use to convert glucose into energy – giving cancer cells the fuel they need to grow and multiply.
Leukemia cells are not able to make the taurine themselves, they therefore depend on a taurine carrier to take it in the environment of the bone marrow and deliver it to cancer cells, said Professor Bajaj Epoch Times.
During laboratory experiences on leukemia samples in mice and humans, scientists were able to slow down or block leukemia growth by preventing taurine from entering cancer cells. Conversely, when they have supplemented leukemia cells with additional taurine, tumor growth has accelerated considerably in mice.
Clinical implications
Analysis of human tissue samples shows that patients with higher levels of the transmitter protein have had less good results and greater resistance to treatment, in particular those with subtypes of aggressive leukemia.
Taurine supplements are commonly recommended to help cancer patients manage chemotherapy and other side effects. Energy drinks containing taurine are also popular in young adults, a demographic group which includes many patients with leukemia.
“Taurine supplements could considerably accelerate the progression of the disease in immunocompetent mice,” wrote the authors.
During experiences on mice, animals devoid of the protein carrier lived 13.5 % longer than control groups, demonstrating the significant role of taurine in the progression of cancer.
Dr. Hoda Hoda Pourhassan, hematologist-oncologist in California, who did not participate in the study, said the results justify caution.
“It would be reasonable to specifically limit taurine intake in patients with leukemia, or at least carefully examine the risks in relation to the advantages of its use,” she said.
A new target for treatment
The researchers discovered that by blocking an enzyme that helps make taurine in bone cells, they could considerably reduce taurine levels in the bone marrow. This, in turn, has reduced the number of cells that trigger the disease and cause relapses.
“The main teaching of this study is that taurine can be used by leukemic cells to promote the progression of cancer,” said Professor Bajaj. “The development of new methods to block the capacity of cancer cells to take taurine could improve results in patients with leukemia. »»
Dr. Jane Liesveld, oncologist, underlined in a declaration the therapeutic potential: “Professor Bajaj’s work show that local taurine levels in bone marrow can improve leukemia growth, which suggests caution in the use of high -dose taurine supplementation”, while opening the doors to new targeted treatments.
Next steps
Researchers point out that their results do not suggest that taurine itself causes cancer or that the consumption of foods rich in taurine increases the risk of leukemia in healthy people.
Taurine is a natural amino acid that healthy adults can produce efficiently when necessary, according to Dr. Pourhassan. Unlike essential amino acids used to build proteins, taurine is used for other cellular functions and deficiencies are rare even with a limited food intake.
“Consequently, a taurine impairment is not something that we generally see, even when we limit the consumption of taurine,” she said.
However, Dr. Pourhassan warned that cancer biology remains complex.
“It would be great if the results of these studies could be rationalized into a simple statement such as” this substance causes cancer “or” this thing prevents cancer from happening, “she said. “But unfortunately, cancer, and more particularly the growth of leukemia, is incredibly complex. »»
“While we continue to learn more, the use of products enriched with taurine and supplementation should certainly be implemented with reflection and caution. »»
How can you help us keep informed?
Epoch Times is a free and independent media, receiving no public aid and belonging to any political party or financial group. Since our creation, we have been facing unfair attacks to silence our information relating in particular to human rights issues in China. This is why, we are counting on your support to defend our independent journalism and to continue, thanks to you, to promote the truth.
