Metabolic plasticity of T cell fate decision

Abstract. The efficacy of adaptive immune responses in cancer treatment relies heavily on the state of the T cells. Upon antigen exposure, T cells undergo metabolic reprogramming, leading to the development of functional effectors or memory populations. However, within the tumor microenvironment (TM...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiaoli Pan, Jiajia Wang, Lianjun Zhang, Guideng Li, Bo Huang, Jing Ni, Xuehong Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer 2024-04-01
Series:Chinese Medical Journal
Online Access:http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/CM9.0000000000002989
Description
Summary:Abstract. The efficacy of adaptive immune responses in cancer treatment relies heavily on the state of the T cells. Upon antigen exposure, T cells undergo metabolic reprogramming, leading to the development of functional effectors or memory populations. However, within the tumor microenvironment (TME), metabolic stress impairs CD8+ T cell anti-tumor immunity, resulting in exhausted differentiation. Recent studies suggested that targeting T cell metabolism could offer promising therapeutic opportunities to enhance T cell immunotherapy. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors necessary for metabolic reprogramming during the development of effector and memory T cells in response to acute and chronic inflammatory conditions. Furthermore, we delved into the different metabolic switches that occur during T cell exhaustion, exploring how prolonged metabolic stress within the TME triggers alterations in cellular metabolism and the epigenetic landscape that contribute to T cell exhaustion, ultimately leading to a persistently exhausted state. Understanding the intricate relationship between T cell metabolism and cancer immunotherapy can lead to the development of novel approaches to improve the efficacy of T cell-based treatments against cancer.
ISSN:0366-6999
2542-5641