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>The research team discovered that leukaemia cells feed on taurine through a process called glycolysis, in which cells break down sugar to produce energy. >Thi
by Legend2440 1y ago
>The research team discovered that leukaemia cells feed on taurine through a process called glycolysis, in which cells break down sugar to produce energy.
>This process helps cancer cells multiply more rapidly, worsening the disease.
If I’m reading this right, it doesn’t cause cancer, but if you already have cancer it may make it spread faster.
- ramoz 1y agoFor leukaemia. Another study is investigating the development of colon cancer.
- Legend2440 1y agoAnd that study isn’t done yet. So we don’t know if it’s linked to colon cancer or not. 2/10 headline at best.
- GauntletWizard 1y agoBut these cancers are naturally occurring, happen all the time, and are usually caught by the immune system before they become large and problematic. Adding a bunch of fuel means it's far far more likely that they are growing too big too fast. It may or may not cause cancer, but it causes cancer to be a problem more often.
- Qem 1y agoIIRC folate also share this property. It helps where tissues have fast growth or replenishment rates (infants still developing in utero, lifelong hair growth, digestive system lining, skin, et cetera), but as a side effect, when cancer happens, it supercharges tumors. Situations like this are probably one contributor for life extension being a difficult problem. When you try to apply a given fix you end increasing the risk of something else in the body breaking.
- hackernewds 1y agoThe outcome is the same.
- borski 1y agoNot if you don’t have cancer.