Daily creatine slow melanoma tumor growth

This study found that giving mice daily creatine injections significantly slowed the growth of melanoma tumors by boosting the activity of dendritic cells — immune cells that direct the body's cancer-fighting response. The researchers also showed that creatine works similarly in human immune cells in laboratory experiments, though no patients were tested.

• Study was done entirely in mice, so results cannot yet be applied to humans
• Only male mice and a single tumor type (B16-OVA melanoma engineered with a model antigen) were used, which may not reflect typical human melanoma
• Creatine was injected into the abdomen of mice — not taken as an oral supplement as humans would use it
• Some evidence suggests creatine could also help tumor cells grow, a risk not fully evaluated here
• The immune mechanism is well-characterized, but the tumor-slowing result rests on one small experiment (6 mice per group, done once)
• Creatine slowed tumor growth but did not stop tumors from eventually progressing