Some cancer drugs disrupt taste by changing the cells inside taste buds, study shows

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz may have identified why many cancer patients say food suddenly tastes unpleasant during treatment. The study, published today in Development, found that a class of targeted cancer drugs known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) can change how taste buds are maintained—reducing the ability to taste sweet foods and altering flavor perception overall. While the study was conducted in animal models, researchers believe similar changes likely occur in humans.