Overcoming Metabolic T-Cell Suppression in Cancer Immunotherapy Using Metabolic Engineering
Cancer immunotherapy has shown remarkable success in hematologic cancers but remains less effective against solid tumors due to metabolic suppression in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells limits nutrient availability, leading to T-cell dysfunction.
To address this challenge, we developed a novel in vivo screening method to identify metabolic genes that enhance T-cell function through gene overexpression. Using this innovative strategy, we identified three candidate genes — SLC7A8, G6PD, and AKT1 —each showing substantial potential for improving T-cell function and are currently undergoing rigorous in vivo validation.
Our approach to overcoming metabolic barriers in the TME could significantly enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, paving the way for new and more effective treatments for solid tumors.
