Taurine's Role in Cancer Cell Metabolism and Therapy

Taurine, a sulphur-containing β-amino acid abundant in mammalian tissues, has emerged as a multifaceted regulator of tumour cell metabolism and therapeutic response. Beyond its classical roles in osmoregulation and antioxidation, taurine influences key metabolic pathways within the tumour microenvironment, modulating redox balance, mitochondrial function and signalling cascades that govern proliferation, apoptosis and invasion. In many cancers, levels of taurine are reduced while its precursor hypotaurine accumulates, creating an oncometabolic milieu that favours hypoxia signalling and supports aggressive phenotypes. Restoration of taurine concentrations can counteract these effects by inhibiting pro-tumoural kinases, reversing epithelial–mesenchymal transition and sensitising cells to chemotherapeutics. Furthermore, circulating taurine may serve as a non-invasive biomarker for cancer risk and prognosis, particularly in digestive malignancies. Preclinical studies also indicate that dietary or pharmacological taurine supplementation can impede tumour growth and metastasis, either alone or as an adjuvant to standard therapies. Together, these findings underscore taurine’s dual value as both a metabolic modulator and a potential adjunct in cancer treatment strategies.

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Taurine's Role in Cancer Cell Metabolism and Therapy publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in taurine's role in cancer cell metabolism and therapy across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Taurine: A non-proteinogenic amino acid involved in osmoregulation, antioxidation and modulation of cellular signalling pathways.

Hypotaurine: A metabolic precursor of taurine that can accumulate in tumours and act as an oncometabolite by activating hypoxia signalling.

ERK/RSK signalling pathway: A kinase cascade involving extracellular signal-regulated kinase and its downstream effector ribosomal S6 kinase, which regulates cell proliferation, survival and differentiation.

Oncometabolite: A metabolite whose aberrant accumulation in tumour cells supports malignant transformation and progression.

References

1. Interplay of serum taurine, S-adenosylmethionine, and cysteine levels in cancer risk: a prospective study. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2024).
2. Hypotaurine evokes a malignant phenotype in glioma through aberrant hypoxic signaling. Oncotarget (2016).
3. Taurine Attenuates the Hypotaurine-Induced Progression of CRC via ERK/RSK Signaling. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2021).