Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – A groundbreaking scientific study has highlighted taurine—a compound naturally produced by the body and also found in certain foods—as a crucial factor in the development of myeloid cancers like leukemia, according to new findings published in the journal Nature.
This early-stage research brings scientists a step closer to developing new treatment strategies for leukemia, one of the most aggressive forms of blood cancer. Researchers at the Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester, successfully halted the progression of leukemia in laboratory mice and in human leukemia cells by using genetic techniques to block taurine from entering the malignant cells.
Under the leadership of Dr. Jeevisha Bajaj, the team found that taurine is secreted by specific healthy cells within the bone marrow microenvironment—the internal bone tissue where myeloid cancers typically originate and grow. Since leukemia cells lack the ability to synthesize taurine on their own, they depend on a specialized transporter protein (encoded by the SLC6A6 gene) to extract taurine from their surroundings and shuttle it into the cancer cells.
This key finding emerged as part of a broader investigation into the cellular dynamics within bone marrow—an area that Wilmot scientists have long prioritized to advance more effective blood cancer therapies.
Bajaj, an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Genetics and a researcher in Wilmot’s Cancer Microenvironment program indicated that they are thrilled by these findings because they show that focusing on how myeloid leukemia cells absorb substances that could open up a new path for treating these aggressive cancers.
The team also found that as leukemia cells absorb taurine, the compound stimulates glycolysis — the process of breaking down glucose for energy — which in turn fuels cancer progression. Until now, researchers were unaware that taurine might play a role in supporting cancer growth.
Leukemia includes various subtypes, each with different survival outcomes. This study reveals that the presence of taurine transporters is critical for the development of several forms of the disease, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), all of which stem from blood-forming stem cells in the bone marrow. Future research will explore how environmental signals contribute to the progression of MDS — a condition that can lead to leukemia — into acute leukemia.
Taurine, a non-essential amino acid, occurs naturally not only in the bone marrow but also in the brain, heart, and muscles. It is present in animal-based foods such as meat, fish, and eggs. Additionally, taurine is a common component in certain energy drinks and protein supplements, and it has been informally used by some cancer patients.
According to Bajaj, this is an emerging area of scientific inquiry where context plays a critical role. For instance, a 2023 study published in the journal Cell explored taurine’s impact on gastric cancers and suggested that supplementation might help specific patients by enhancing immune function.
Dr. Jane Liesveld, a Wilmot Cancer Institute oncologist who specializes in leukemia and co-authored a related Nature study, emphasized that researchers are still uncovering how leukemia cells adapt and fuel themselves to survive and resist therapy.
Liesveld emphasized that Dr. Bajaj’s findings indicate that elevated taurine levels in the bone marrow may actually support leukemia progression, so high-dose taurine supplementation should be approached with caution.
“Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer, and we are at the very beginning of understanding metabolic effects on leukemia cells,” she explained. “The prior focus has been on genetic changes, but the focus is expanding to understanding how leukemia cells are able to hijack various metabolic pathways for their own survival.”
The researchers indicated that further studies needed to focus on the amount of taurine for individuals who have leukemia.
