Overview

• Leukemia cells cannot produce taurine and depend on its uptake from bone marrow stromal cells via the SLC6A6 transporter.
• Blocking the SLC6A6 transporter in preclinical models significantly suppressed leukemia growth, establishing it as a promising drug target.
• Taurine dependency was found to be critical across multiple myeloid leukemia subtypes, including AML, CML, and MDS.
• The findings suggest caution in the use of high-dose taurine supplements, which may inadvertently promote leukemia progression.
• Researchers are now developing pharmacological inhibitors targeting the SLC6A6 transporter and planning clinical studies to evaluate taurine levels in patients.