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Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Tailoring In Vivo Cytotoxicity Assays to Study Immunodominance in Tumor-specific CD8+ T Cell Responses
Published on: May 6, 2019
Lipid oxidation reprogramming in cancer-associated fibroblasts enhances CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity and therapeutic
Zikun Ma1, Yuzhao Wang2, Weikai Wang3
1Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou 510060, China; Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, China.
Abstract:
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are major stromal components of the tumor microenvironment, yet how their metabolic states shift during therapy and influence anti-tumor immunity remains unclear. By integrating clinical cancer samples, single-cell RNA analyses, and functional studies, we identify a chemotherapy-conditioned PTGER3+ CAF subset characterized by enhanced lipid oxidation. This metabolic reprogramming strengthens antitumor immunity by promoting CD8+ T cell activation and cytotoxicity through the suppression of PTEN-related signaling. Clinically, higher proportions of therapy-induced PTGER3+ CAFs correlate with improved treatment responses and better patient prognosis. Together, these findings reveal a previously unrecognized stromal metabolic adaptation that supports CD8+ T cell immunity and highlight CAF-driven lipid oxidation and its regulation of CD8+ T cell PTEN signaling as potential avenues to enhance chemotherapy and immunotherapy efficacy.
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