What intratumoral Tregs eat makes them strong, but vulnerable: a new metabolic intervention for cancer immunotherapy

Metabolic reprogramming is critical for governing proper T cell immune responses, including activation, production of effector molecule, migration and differentiation. The metabolic stress T cells could encounter in tumors has emerged as a microenvironmental challenge to tumor-infiltrating T cells. Moreover, the metabolic insufficiency has been observed in tumor-infiltrating T cells associated with declined effector functions. However, it remains unclear why tumor-infiltrating T cells lose metabolic fitness and the detailed impacts of metabolic insufficiency on modulating T cell differentiation. In my talk, I will describe how the tumor microenvironment could influence metabolic fitness and differentiation program in tumor-infiltrating T cells and further provide ideas on boosting T cell anti-tumor responses via metabolic interventions.

Learning Objectives:

Discover:

1. Theory and techniques for systems immunology and metabolic control of T cell tolerance and antitumor immunity

2. How nutrient sensing and signaling in Tregs and the tumor microenvironment could influence metabolic fitness and differentiation program in tumor-infiltrating T cells

3. Potential approaches for boosting T cell anti-tumor responses via metabolic interventions.