BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Cancer immunotherapy has transformed treatment for some patients. For the 60 to 80 percent who don’t respond, the problem often isn’t the killer T cells at the end of the immune chain. It’s the cells responsible for training them. A new UCLA study published in iScience identifies creatine, the supplement commonly used by athletes and bodybuilders, as a critical fuel source for those training cells, and finds that supplementing with it significantly slowed tumor growth in mouse models. Why dendritic cells are the missing link in immunotherapy Killer T cells are the immune system’s frontline fighters against cancer. But before they can act, dendritic cells must capture fragments from tumors, carry those fragments to T cells, and direct them toward the target. Most approved cancer immunotherapies skip this step and go straight for T cells. That may be why so many patients don’t respond. The UCLA team, whose earlier work showed that creatine fuels killer T cells in tumor environments, turned its attention to dendritic cells after noticing something in the metabolic data. When the researchers looked at which genes were most active in dendritic cells that had infiltrated tumors in mice, one stood out: the gene for the creatine transporter, a protein that pulls creatine into cells, was significantly elevated in tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells compared to those in healthy tissue. What creatine deprivation and supplementation revealed To find out what that meant, the team removed the creatine transporter from dendritic cells entirely. Those cells showed impaired survival, reduced activation, and a weakened ability to prime T cells for a tumor response. When creatine-deficient dendritic cells were grown alongside T cells in the lab, the T cells divided less and produced fewer of the signaling molecules cancer-fighting requires. The team then ran the opposite experiment. Daily creatine injections in mouse models of melanoma significantly slowed tumor growth, boosted the number of dendritic cells inside tumors, and increased their activation. Creatine-treated dendritic cells also produced more of the chemical signals that draw additional immune cells into the tumor microenvironment. Metabolomics analyses pointed to the mechanism: creatine raised intracellular ATP levels in dendritic cells. ATP is what cells use to power nearly every function. Creatine acts like a battery, releasing stored energy when demand spikes, which helps dendritic cells hold their metabolic position even while competing with fast-growing tumor cells for nutrients. The inflammatory signaling pathways needed for activation stay on. “What this study shows is that creatine doesn’t just help the T cells fighting cancer — it also energizes the entire infrastructure that supports and guides them,” said Lili Yang, the study’s senior author and a professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at UCLA. “That makes creatine a promising supplement to holistically support the immune response that modern immunotherapies depend on.” Human cell results and implications for cancer vaccines The same pattern held in human cell experiments. Creatine enhanced the activation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells, a type commonly used to make dendritic cell cancer vaccines, and improved their ability to stimulate human T cells against a cancer-associated target. The team suggests incorporating creatine into the manufacturing process for those vaccines could increase their potency before a patient ever receives them. Co-first author James Elsten-Brown described the two directions the research points toward: “creatine could be used in two complementary ways: as a supplement to enhance the immune response of patients already receiving immunotherapy, and as a tool to improve the quality of dendritic cell-based vaccines before they’re administered.” Clinical outlook and important caveats for patients This research was done in mouse models and human cells, not in patients. No clinical recommendations follow from it, and anyone undergoing cancer treatment should check with their physician before adding any supplement to their routine. Creatine monohydrate has been used as a supplement for decades and is generally regarded as safe at recommended doses. Because that safety profile is already established, the bar for clinical testing is lower than it would be for a new drug. The team is working with physicians toward prospective trials to test whether creatine supplementation improves outcomes in patients receiving immunotherapy. “Understanding how to metabolically support dendritic cells is about supporting the entire anti-tumor response, not just the killer T cells at the end of it,” said co-first author Elliot Kang. Rather than layering another intervention onto T cells directly, this approach works upstream. If the results translate to humans, creatine could turn out to be one of the least expensive components in an immunotherapy protocol. Source study: iScience – Creatine uptake promotes dendritic cell activation and enhances antitumor immunity     Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.The post Could this popular gym supplement strengthen cancer immunotherapy? first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Forty-eight teams. Sixty-four matches. A final played yesterday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. And a victory for Spain, the country taking all the glory home. The 2026 World Cup was the most expansive in the tournament’s history, and for US, Canadian, and Mexican fans, the first played on home soil. The science on what watching all of that does to the human body has been building for decades, and it’s not only fascinating – it’s eye-opening. Here is what it shows. Watching soccer is not a passive activity. Physiologically, the brain and body respond to a match in ways that parallel actual physical competition, according to Matt Butler, a neuropsychiatry research fellow at King’s College London who recently published research on the behavioral neuroscience of soccer fandom. “While watching our players sweat on the pitch, we respond as if we, too, are playing,” Butler says. The more invested you are, the stronger the effect. Butler describes a phenomenon called identity fusion, where diehard fans experience what happens to their club almost literally as if it were happening to themselves. With a home World Cup compressing months of national investment into a single tournament, those effects ran high. Cortisol spikes before the whistle blows In 2010, researchers measured cortisol in Spanish fans while they watched the World Cup final. Compared to a normal day, fans had significantly elevated levels of the stress hormone throughout the match. The spike was larger in men, in younger fans, and in those most passionate about their team. The mechanism is what researchers call social self-preservation: humans have a deep need to feel good about themselves and to be seen positively by others. When something threatens that, whether a social rejection or a team loss, the brain treats it as a physical danger and triggers a corresponding stress response. This stress doesn’t begin at kickoff. When scientists tracked health data from fans of a German soccer club over 12 weeks using smartwatch data, they found cortisol levels began rising as early as 14 hours before a match. Over a 48-team tournament with elimination rounds stretching across a month, that physiological accumulation compounds. What stress hormones do to the heart Alongside cortisol, the body’s stress response floods the bloodstream with adrenaline and similar chemicals that speed up heart rate and raise blood pressure, increasing the heart’s demand for oxygen. At the same time, those chemicals constrict the blood vessels feeding the heart, reducing supply. The body needs more oxygen; it gets less. That gap can, in some cases, trigger a heart attack. Real-world data backs this up. During the 2006 World Cup in Germany, watching a stressful match more than doubled a fan’s chances of a cardiac event that day. During the 1998 World Cup, hospital admissions for heart attacks rose 25 percent on the day England lost to Argentina on penalties and remained elevated for two days, a spike specific to heart attacks, not other conditions. In Spain, a study of domestic league games found a 30 percent rise in cardiac-related hospital visits among men with existing heart conditions on days their team lost. Butler notes the context: most people start from a low baseline cardiac risk, so a higher relative risk during a match doesn’t mean much in absolute terms. For fans who already have heart conditions, though, it’s a different calculation. Testosterone rises, and so does sexual activity Stress hormones aren’t the only thing that changes. During the same 2010 World Cup final, testosterone levels also rose in fans watching the match, and unlike cortisol, this increase was not tied to sex, age, or degree of fandom. “Testosterone is a hormone which is increased in response to competitive situations, so it is perhaps no surprise that levels may be higher when fans watch soccer, regardless of gender,” Butler says. The urban legend about tournament baby booms also turns out to have some data behind it. During the 2024 UEFA European Championship, researchers tracked the daily sexual behaviors, thoughts, and fantasies of nearly 1,000 participants across five European countries. Fans reported roughly 27 percent more sexual activity in the days following their national team’s wins compared to losses. “Collective rituals and celebrations have been associated with increased intimacy and social bonding since ancient times,” Butler notes. Sleep loss and its consequences When a tournament is played far from home, fans stay up late, and the effects go well beyond feeling tired the next morning. During the 2002 World Cup, held in Asia and broadcast in the middle of the night for American viewers, car crash deaths in U.S. towns with large German-American populations rose 35 percent on days Germany played. In towns with the highest concentration of German heritage, the increase reached 122 percent. When researchers later analyzed crash data during a World Cup where games aired at normal hours, the spike was gone, pointing to sleep loss rather than emotional distraction as the cause. This year’s North American tournament meant most fans in the US, Canada, and Mexico watched at accessible hours, removing that particular risk for home supporters. For fans in Europe and elsewhere who tracked morning kickoffs across six weeks, the calculation looked more familiar. “Even a single night of sleep deprivation can impair cognitive abilities, particularly concentration,” Butler says. Soccer may amplify these effects more sharply than other sports. Goals are rare, which makes them disproportionately significant when they happen. Because chance plays a larger role in a low-scoring game, stronger teams can lose and underdogs can win. “This makes it extremely exciting, stressful, and rewarding to watch,” Butler notes. Higher-scoring sports tend to resolve their tension earlier. Soccer keeps you in that state of not-knowing right until the final whistle, and the body stays in it too.     Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.The post What watching soccer does to your body, according to science first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance announced the birth of their fourth child in a joint Instagram statement on July 19, 2026. “We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning. Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother,” the statement reads. “The incredible military doctors and staff members of Walter Reed Medical Center and the White House Medical Unit have been a blessing. We are deeply thankful for all they have done for our family,” the Vances added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by JD Vance (@jdvance) JD Vance is the First Standing Vice President to Welcome a Baby in More Than 150 Years The Associated Press reported JD Vance, 41, and Usha Vance, 40, are the first couple to welcome a baby while serving as Vice President and Second Lady since Schuyler Colfax and Ellen Wade had a son, Schuyler Colfax III, in 1870. JD Vance has long advocated for Americans to have more children. “I want more babies in the United States of America. I want more happy children in our country, and I want — and I want beautiful young men and women who are eager to welcome them into the world and eager to raise them,” he said in 2025, per ABC News. Many congratulated Vice President JD Vance and his wife on the birth of their fourth baby. “Congratulations!!! Was just thinking of her this week, wondering if she had him yet! ToGod be glory!” A comment reads. This person agreed, writing, “Congratulations to all! Prayers for God to keep your entire family safe and healthy always!” “Congratulations, what joyous news! Children are a gift from God,” a well-wisher wrote. This story’s featured image is by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Loyal Costco fans are lauding their favorite big-box store for a long-awaited change to its custom cake ordering system. In a company memo, Costco announced that it will be launching an app for customers to order customized cakes at the touch of their fingers without having to enter a Costco store. “We’ve got ordering cakes and deli trays online coming,” said Costco CEO Ron Vachris. “Many of the things that we’ve heard from our members that could be a little bit clunky are now moving to a digital state, and we’re seeing great adoption right out of the chute.” It’s a massive change from the previous custom cake process. Costco lovers have long complained about the old-school ordering system that required customers to physically go to the store’s bakery, where they would fill out a slip of paper with their order requests and simply drop it in the order box. Costco’s “1800s” custom cake ordering @eatsbyrachel Anyone else feel like the @Costco Wholesale custom cake ordering system is a bit antiquated? Regardless, their analog process somehow always works #costco #costcobakery #cake #customcake #costcodoesitagain #costcocake #costcofinds #costcodeals #costcofind #costcofinds #eatsbyrachel ♬ Poke Mart (From “Pokemon Diamond and Pearl”) – Jazz Version – Chippy Bits Back in 2023, writer Lucy Huber humorously poked fun at Costco’s seemingly outdated custom cake ordering system that resonated with fellow Costco shoppers. And her words went viral: “Ordered a cake from Costco and their system is from the 1800s, you write what you want on a piece of paper & put it in a box then nobody follows up and you just show up and hope they made it? I tried to call to confirm & they were like ‘if you put it in the box, it will be there’,” she wrote. It was a system that also caused Costco members on Reddit a lot of anxiety. “We did our wedding cakes from Costco, talk about a nerve-racking experience hoping everything worked out,” one wrote. Another shared, “Drop a paper in a hole and cross your fingers .” A few years ago I reposted a funny tweet about Costco’s archaic cake ordering system being from the 1800s on the subreddit, now I just read an article that Costco is finally updating it and that we’ll be able to order bakery cakes and deli trays digitally online with email confirmation soon! byu/breathfromanother inCostco Costco customers have mixed feelings Many Costco customers and Redditors expressed their positive reactions to the updated ordering system news: “As someone who lives 1.5 hours away from three different Costcos I LOVE this. I’m rarely in the market for a custom cake, but when I am I’m not driving an hour and a half to fill out the request form in store.” “This is GREAT! But will I also be able to order chocolate cake with white icing and vice-versa? Because currently I can’t do that at my Costco.” “While the box system worked, it was archaic. With anything, the new system will take time to implement.” “Jumping from the 19th century to the 21st century. Bravo Costco!” Others weren’t as happy: “Kind of sad in a way. There are not too many interactions like this in the digital age.” “But the Paper & Pencil worked.” “I have ordered many cakes with this low tech. Never an issue.” Costco bakery workers react Workers in Costco bakeries also chimed in, many with negative opinions: “As someone who works in the bakery this is going to be a disaster. Half the people don’t even know the name on the order or what the cake says when they come to pick up. Like 2 times a week we get someone trying to pick up at the wrong Costco.” “As a bakery employee, this is going to be a nightmare. The whole point of keeping the order form in warehouse only was to not overwhelm our staff AND (this one being the real reason I was given), is it makes people come in and ‘grab a few items while their there, and then again when they come pick up the cake.’ I am not looking forward to this. People are going to order at the wrong Costco, not do it right and then get mad at us. I’m terrified of this change .” “As someone who has worked in the bakery at Costco, the prevailing thought has been ‘the system we have works fairly well, so they’re probably not gonna change it.’ It’s the same reason that the major sales department still uses paper slips for computers. Well, except for the apple tables. Those have a little iPad kiosk that will print out your slip for you, but literally none of the members ever use it and instead ask us to do it for them.” The box system had a good run At the end of the day, there’s something a little poetic about a mysterious cardboard box being replaced by an app, especially one that inspired genuine anxiety, wedding day nerves, and a viral tweet millions of people related to. Change is hard, even when it’s an upgrade nobody was really asking for by name. But if Costco’s history proves anything, it’s that shoppers will adapt fast, as long as the cake still shows up exactly when it’s supposed to. This article originally appeared in February. It has been updated. The post Costco customers are overjoyed by news that the store’s ‘archaic’ cake ordering system is finally modernizing appeared first on Upworthy.

For many parents of a certain age, showing their children Home Alone is a crucial moment of family bonding. That even applies to Macaulay Culkin, who stars in the 1990 blockbuster as Kevin McCallister. In a recent interview with the YouTube channel Mythical Kitchen, the actor said it’s been a beautiful experience reliving the movie through his kids’ eyes, but for the time being, he’s resisting the impulse to tell them who played Kevin. “My kids don’t understand yet,” he said, noting how they do recognize his wife, Brenda Song, in episodes of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s mama.’ So they get that. But when they see Kevin, they always call him ‘Kevin’ because the illusion is still there. Just two nights ago, my son was asking questions. He wanted to see a family photo of, like, all my siblings. So I ran downstairs [and] got it, and immediately his eyes darted to me, and he goes, ‘Hey, that kid looks like Kevin.’ And I go, ‘He sure does, doesn’t he?'” View this post on Instagram Keeping the illusion alive, for now While Culkin’s son is “starting” to put the pieces together, they still have a little time to live in this sweet in-between zone. “I’m trying to keep up the illusion as long as possible, like Santa Claus, that kind of thing,” the actor said. “But I know some kid at recess is going to ruin it [Laughs].” Reliving the film through his children has “changed the game” for Culkin, who sees the “joy” it brings them. “Before, it was a gig,” he admitted. “Now it’s something I can sit next to and be proud of and show my kids. I don’t run from it. I don’t hide from it. If anything, I embrace it.” That philosophy prompted Culkin to host a recent 35th-anniversary tour behind Home Alone, screening the film in theaters and staging a “fireside chat” Q&A afterward. “I pull kids up there and ask them absurd trivia questions about the movie they just saw,” he said. “It’s really fun to kind of get it on the road, get it on its legs, and just seeing how it’s still alive. Those people are parents too, and they’re bringing their kids to it, and they’re appreciating it in a way that it’s supposed to be appreciated.” Fans couldn’t get enough of this story In the interview’s Instagram comments, fans weighed in with some beautiful words. “When a legend can finally accept the title, it’s a really cool thing to watch what an icon” “He should be proud too, elite child acting. Iconic timeless movies. Awesome having him in the public space more last few years. What a legend.” “Home Alone will never die. Greatest Christmas movie ever!” “Man drop another home alone movie “ “Hearing him talk like this brings me so much joy” “Damn, going from gig to a mantle of pride. I’ve never thought about it that way before.” One element of Home Alone nostalgia is more painful than sweet: A YouTuber named “Mistress Melt” recently conducted an experiment to replicate Kevin’s $20 grocery haul from the film, calculating how much those items would cost in 2025 dollars. As you might expect, the total has gone up, but the discrepancy is still pretty wild. Some magic is worth protecting At the end of the day, there’s something genuinely touching about a dad choosing to guard a little bit of childhood wonder, even when it’s his own face on the screen. Every kid eventually finds out Santa isn’t real, and someday Culkin’s sons will connect the dots on Kevin too. But for now, he gets to watch his own kids fall in love with Home Alone the same uncomplicated way millions of other families have for 35 years, without the weight of knowing dad was the one running from burglars. That’s a gift most actors never get to give their kids, and Culkin seems to know exactly how lucky that makes him. This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated. The post Macaulay Culkin says his kids have seen ‘Home Alone’ but he hasn’t told them Kevin is their dad appeared first on Upworthy.