NATIONAL — A new study has identified taurine, a naturally occurring amino acid, as a critical factor in the growth of certain types of leukemia.
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It was published on May 14 in the journal Nature.
They said the findings could lead to new treatments of myeloid cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), according to researchers at the University of Rochester’s Wilmot Cancer Institute.
These blood cancers all start in the bone marrow, and the research shows that cancer cells depend on taurine from their environment to grow and survive.
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Our sister station in Seattle, KIRO TV, says the Wilmot team discovered that leukemia cells cannot produce taurine on their own.
Instead, they use a transporter to absorb taurine from the surrounding bone marrow microenvironment.
Scientists could stop leukemia growth by using genetic tools to block this uptake in both mouse models and human cell samples, KIRO TV reports.
“We are very excited about these studies because they demonstrate that targeting uptake by myeloid leukemia cells may be a possible new avenue for treatment of these aggressive diseases,” said Jeevisha Bajaj, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Genetics and a member of Wilmot’s Cancer Microenvironment research program.
The study also says that there is growing metabolism, how cancer gets energy, is just as important as genetic mutations in driving cancer.
KIRO TV reports that researchers discovered that once inside leukemia cells, taurine promotes glycolysis. That is a process that breaks down glucose for energy and supports cancer progression.
“This study is one of the first to show that taurine may actually help drive cancer growth,” Bajaj said. “Leukemia cells hijack taurine to fuel their survival.”
Jane Liesvaeld, M.D., a Wilmot oncologist and co-author of the study, has urged caution when it comes to taurine supplements.
The amino acid is a common ingredient in energy drinks, protein powders, and certain foods. This includes meat, fish, and eggs. The amino acid is also found in the brain, heart, and muscles.
KIRO TV adds that cancer patients sometimes take it to ease chemotherapy side effects.
“Dr. Bajaj’s work shows that local levels of taurine in bone marrow may enhance leukemia growth, suggesting caution in the use of high-dose taurine supplementation,” Liesveld said.
Researchers said more work needs to be done to understand what role taurine plays in cancer development and resistance to treatment.
Bajaj said one of the next steps is to study taurine levels in leukemia patients. Then, develop methods for safely blocking taurine from entering cancer cells.
“Since taurine is a common ingredient in energy drinks and is often provided as a supplement to mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy, our work suggests that it may be of interest to carefully consider the benefits of supplemental taurine in leukemia patients,” the authors wrote in their conclusion.
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