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Cytokines and metabolic factors regulate tumoricidal T-cell function during cancer immunotherapy

Adam J Adler1,2, Payal Mittal1, Joseph M Ryan1

  • 1Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.

Immunotherapy
|December 22, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Precision cancer immunotherapies show promise but often fail due to the tumor microenvironment. Combining therapies that enhance cytolytic T cell (CTL) metabolism may improve cancer treatment outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cancer Biology
  • Immunology
  • Metabolic Stress

Background:

  • Precision therapies target tumor-specific attributes.
  • Immune-based therapies using cytolytic T cells (CTL) offer benefits but have low cure rates.
  • The tumor microenvironment creates immunosuppression and metabolic stress for CTL.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how immunotherapies can overcome metabolic stressors in the tumor microenvironment.
  • To explore the potential of combining modalities for enhanced CTL metabolic advantages.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of immune-based therapies, specifically dual costimulation immunotherapy (CD134/OX40 + CD137/4-1BB agonists).
  • Examination of cytokine networks and their role in CTL competition for glucose.
  • Assessment of metabolic stresses impacting CTL function within the tumor microenvironment.

Main Results:

  • Dual costimulation immunotherapy (OX40 + 4-1BB) mediates tumor control partly by enhancing CTL glucose competition.
  • Immunotherapies can mitigate specific metabolic stressors within the tumor microenvironment.
  • CTL metabolic fitness is crucial for effective anti-tumor immunity.

Conclusions:

  • Future cancer immunotherapies should focus on overcoming CTL metabolic vulnerabilities.
  • Combining therapeutic modalities that provide complementary metabolic advantages to CTL is a promising strategy.
  • Enhancing CTL metabolic fitness can improve the efficacy of cancer treatments.
Keywords:
T cellscostimulationimmunotherapy

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