The study, conducted in mice, is the first to show that creatine uptake is critical to the anti-tumor activities of what is known as killer T cells, the foot soldiers of the immune system.
Arginase deficiency, which is caused by a missing or mutated version of the arginase gene, ARG1, affects about one of every 1 million babies in the U.S.
A Finnish study that included researchers from UCLA harnessed the DNA from nearly 20,000 people to identify genetic mutations that may increase the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol and other diseases and conditions.
The findings have implications for the conservation of rare and endangered species, in which low genetic diversity could increase the odds of extinction.
The findings will both help identify women who are at highest risk of developing ovarian cancer and pave the way for identifying new therapies that can target these specific genes.
“This is a pervasive, global problem.... It’s in all types of landscapes — urban, rural and even untouched environments,” says Seth Riley, a co-author of the research.
UCLA’s Dr. Michael Gandal said that beyond the important new findings, he is even more optimistic about what the data will help researchers learn in the future.