Creatine May Strengthen Two Key Cancer-Fighting Immune Cells, Study Suggests
A common sports supplement best known for boosting athletic performance may also strengthen the body's ability to fight cancer, according to new research. The study, published in iScience, found that creatine not only enhances the activity of cancer-fighting T cells but also supports another critical group of immune cells that coordinate anti-tumor responses.
The findings add to growing evidence that creatine plays a broader biological role than simply supplying energy to muscles. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles found that the supplement helped maintain the function of dendritic cells—immune cells responsible for activating and directing T cells toward cancer. Although the findings are limited to laboratory experiments and mouse studies, they raise the possibility that creatine could one day improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.
How creatine supports the immune system
Creatine is widely recognized for helping muscles rapidly regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy source used by cells throughout the body.
Inside tumors, immune cells operate under intense metabolic stress as they attempt to identify and destroy cancer cells. Researchers believe that providing these cells with additional energy may help them remain active for longer and perform their functions more effectively.
Previous studies had already shown that creatine could improve the performance of cytotoxic, or "killer," T cells, which directly attack cancer cells. The new research demonstrates that dendritic cells also rely on creatine to maintain a strong anti-cancer immune response.
Investigating creatine inside tumors
To understand how creatine affects dendritic cells, the researchers examined tumors in mice and analyzed which nutrient-related genes were most active within these immune cells.
They discovered that the gene responsible for producing the creatine transporter—a protein that carries creatine into cells—was significantly more active in dendritic cells found inside tumors than in dendritic cells from healthy tissues.
The team then genetically engineered dendritic cells that lacked this transporter.
Without the ability to absorb creatine efficiently, the dendritic cells survived for shorter periods and became much less effective at activating and educating T cells. As a result, the T cells they supported also became less capable of recognizing and attacking cancer cells.
Creatine slowed tumor growth in mice
The researchers next investigated whether increasing creatine availability could improve immune responses against cancer.
Using mouse models of melanoma, they found that creatine supplementation significantly slowed tumor growth while increasing both the number and activity of dendritic cells within tumors.
The strengthened dendritic cells became more effective at presenting tumor proteins to T cells and coordinating broader anti-tumor immune responses. Consequently, killer T cells were better able to identify and destroy cancer cells.
The researchers concluded that creatine metabolism plays a previously unrecognized role in regulating dendritic cell function and suggested that creatine supplementation could eventually become a strategy for enhancing dendritic cell-based immunotherapies.
A possible boost for cancer immunotherapy
Modern cancer immunotherapies—including immune checkpoint inhibitors and dendritic cell vaccines—have transformed treatment for several cancers. However, only about 20 to 40 percent of patients currently achieve substantial benefit from these therapies.
Many tumors suppress immune activity by creating an environment that gradually weakens or exhausts immune cells.
Because creatine appears to strengthen both killer T cells and the dendritic cells that activate them, researchers believe it could potentially enhance multiple components of the immune response simultaneously.
Creatine is also inexpensive, widely available, and already used medically to treat certain metabolic disorders, making it an attractive candidate for drug repurposing if future studies confirm its benefits.
More research is needed
Despite the promising findings, the researchers caution that cancer patients should not begin taking creatine supplements based solely on this study.
The current evidence comes from laboratory-grown human cells and experiments conducted in mice, meaning it remains uncertain whether the same effects will occur in people undergoing cancer treatment.
Although creatine is generally considered safe for healthy individuals when consumed at recommended doses, people with cancer often have complex medical conditions. Kidney function, ongoing medications, and treatment-related side effects could all influence whether supplementation is appropriate or beneficial.
The next step will be carefully controlled clinical trials evaluating creatine alongside established immunotherapies. Researchers plan to investigate the most effective doses, treatment schedules, and patient populations while closely monitoring safety.
If future clinical trials confirm the findings, creatine could potentially serve two complementary roles. It might be given as an oral supplement to strengthen patients' immune responses during treatment, and it could also be used during the laboratory preparation of dendritic cell vaccines to improve their ability to activate cancer-fighting immune cells before administration.
For now, researchers describe creatine as a promising but still unproven approach for enhancing cancer immunotherapy. Larger human studies will ultimately determine whether this familiar nutritional supplement can meaningfully improve the body's natural ability to fight cancer.
