Dietary supplement could be used to treat breast cancer, Mayo Clinic says

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KMSP) - The Mayo Clinic announced Thursday it has have found a potential new way to treat breast cancer that involves a dietary supplement. 

Researchers discovered that cyclocreatine, a dietary supplement used in sports drinks, blocks the growth of HER2 positive breast cancer. Cyclocreatine “effectively targets mitochondrial creatine kinase 1 enzyme and reduces cancer growth without toxicity”, according to a news release. 

The findings were confirmed in mice that were administered HER2 positive tumors resistant to the commonly used drug, trastuzumab. The Mayo Clinic says future clinical trials will be necessary to determine the effectiveness of cyclocreatine for HER2 positive breast cancer resistant to standard therapies.