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Updated: May 10, 2026

Immunometabolic Circuits in Infection for Advancing Host Directed Therapies
Published on: September 13, 2024
PKCθ: from T cell kinase to immunometabolic integrator
Yongqi Li1, Weiguang Sun1, Yonghui Zhang1
1Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China.
None:
Protein kinase C theta (PKCθ) has long been viewed as a core T cell signaling molecule. Recent work, however, reveals functions far beyond this classic role. In this review, we integrate recent evidence to redefine PKCθ as a pan-immune and immunometabolic integrator that controls not only T cell activation but also macrophage phagocytosis, natural killer cell (NK) function, and systemic metabolism. We analyze its paradoxical roles in cancer-where it drives some tumors but is lost in others-and summarize the evolution of therapeutic strategies beyond ATP-competitive inhibition, including allosteric modulation, proteolysis-targeting chimera degradation, and disruption of protein-protein interactions (PPIs). This aims to move the PKCθ field from fragmented descriptions toward mechanistic understanding and precision intervention.
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