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Updated: Aug 29, 2026

Measuring Mitochondrial Function of Naïve and Effector CD8 T Cells
Published on: March 28, 2025
The effects of chemotherapeutics on cellular metabolism and consequent immune recognition
M Karen Newell1, Robert Melamede, Elizabeth Villalobos-Menuey
1Department of Biology, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7150, USA. mnewell@uccs.edu
Abstract:
Awidely held view is that oncolytic agents induce death of tumor cells directly. In this report we review and discuss the apoptosis-inducing effects of chemotherapeutics, the effects of chemotherapeutics on metabolic function, and the consequent effects of metabolic function on immune recognition. Finally, we propose that effective chemotherapeutic and/or apoptosis-inducing agents, at concentrations that can be achieved physiologically, do not kill tumor cells directly. Rather, we suggest that effective oncolytic agents sensitize immunologically altered tumor cells to immune recognition and immune-directed cell death.
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