Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jan 23, 2026 1 hour, 38 minutes ago
Medical News: Taurine and Cancer a New Molecular Clue Emerges
Researchers from China have uncovered a surprising biological link that may help explain why certain breast cancers grow faster and become harder to treat. Scientists from the Westlake Institute for Advanced Study at Fudan University Shanghai the School of Life Sciences at Westlake University Hangzhou the Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine Hangzhou the College of Life Sciences at Zhejiang University Hangzhou and the Westlake Disease Modeling Laboratory have identified how a naturally occurring nutrient called taurine can unintentionally fuel breast cancer progression.
New research reveals how taurine uptake helps breast cancer cells survive and grow faster
This
Medical News report highlights findings from an extensive laboratory and animal study showing that elevated taurine levels and increased activity of its transporter protein known as SLC6A6 appear to give cancer cells a strong survival advantage. Taurine is commonly found in the body and in foods and is often associated with beneficial roles such as protecting cells from damage. However, this new research reveals a darker side when taurine is hijacked by cancer cells.
How Taurine Becomes a Cancer Ally
The researchers observed that mice with breast tumors had much higher levels of taurine circulating in their blood compared to healthy mice. At the same time tumor cells showed increased levels of SLC6A6 a transporter that pulls taurine into cells. This combination allowed cancer cells to absorb more taurine than normal cells.
Once inside the cancer cells taurine helped reduce harmful oxidative stress which is a type of cellular damage that would normally slow down or kill abnormal cells. By lowering this stress, the cancer cells were better protected and more likely to survive and multiply. Laboratory tests confirmed that when SLC6A6 levels were increased cancer cells divided faster and avoided programmed cell death.
A Direct Push on the Cell Cycle
Beyond its antioxidant role the transporter SLC6A6 was found to interact directly with another protein called RPRD1B which plays a role in controlling how cells move through the cell cycle. This interaction accelerated the transition of cancer cells into active growth phases leading to uncontrolled proliferation. In simple terms the cancer cells not only survived better but also received a direct signal to grow faster.
Animal experiments supported these findings as tumors grew larger and heavier when SLC6A6 was overexpressed especially when taurine was readily available.
Implications for Patients and Treatment
Analysis of human breast cancer data revealed that patients with higher SLC6A6 levels tended to have poorer outcomes particularly in certain aggressive breast cancer subtypes. High expression was also linked to weaker responses to chemotherapy hormone therapy and targeted HER2 treatments.
Food Rich in Taurine That Should Be Avoided
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Foods rich in taurine are primarily animal-based, with the highest concentrations found in shellfish (scallops, mussels, clams), dark meat poultry (chicken, turkey), and fish (tuna, salmon), along with beef and pork; dairy and eggs have some, while plants generally contain very little. Most energy drinks such as Red Bull contains extremely high amounts of taurine.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
These findings suggest that taurine and its transporter SLC6A6 form a powerful biological axis that breast cancer cells exploit for survival and rapid growth. By reducing cellular stress and directly speeding up the cell cycle this pathway gives tumors a dangerous advantage. Importantly this discovery opens the door to new treatment strategies that may involve targeting taurine transport or limiting its cancer supporting effects while preserving its normal benefits in healthy tissues.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Cells.
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/15/2/207
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Medical News.
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/cancer
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