A groundbreaking study by researchers at the University of Rochester’s Wilmot Cancer Institute has identified taurine, a common ingredient in energy drinks, as potentially linked to the growth of leukemia cells. Taurine, a non-essential amino acid found in meats, fish, eggs, and some energy drinks, was found to enhance cancer cell growth through a process called glycolysis, which breaks down glucose for energy. The research, published in the journal Nature, suggests that targeting taurine uptake could offer a new approach to treating blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). While the findings are preliminary, they underscore the potential relationship between dietary factors and cancer development, raising questions about the role of energy drinks in leukemia progression. The study’s authors emphasize the need for further research to explore taurine’s impact on human patients and its possible therapeutic applications.
The discovery was made by chance as researchers were investigating the bone marrow’s role in treating blood cancer, according to a press release from the university. Jeevisha Bajaj, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Rochester and a member of Wilmot’s Cancer Microenvironment research program, explained that the finding that taurine can be produced by the bone marrow microenvironment was unexpected.