Glucose drives T cell signaling. Stronger indicators imply higher most cancers protection.
For the physique’s disease-fighting T cells, glucose is far more than only a easy sugar rush.
Scientists on the Van Andel Institute have uncovered that glucose, a crucial gas supply for immune cells, additionally performs a key function in T cell communication and enhances their tumor-fighting talents. This perception might assist refine how T cells are used to battle most cancers and different diseases.
The analysis is detailed in a examine revealed in Cell Metabolism.
Why T cells want glucose
“Immune cells are extremely influenced by their atmosphere,” stated Joseph Longo, Ph.D., the examine’s first writer and a postdoctoral fellow within the lab of Russell Jones, Ph.D. “We knew that T cells want entry to glucose to perform, however we didn’t know precisely why. It was beforehand thought that T cells primarily break down glucose for vitality, however our new work exhibits that T cells use glucose as a constructing block for different molecules which might be essential to assist T cells’ anti-cancer properties.”
Glucose fuels glycosphingolipid manufacturing
The findings reveal that T cells allocate important parts of glucose to construct giant molecules referred to as glycosphingolipids (GSLs). These sugar-fat compounds are important for T cell progress and making proteins that T cells use to fight most cancers.
GSLs assist type fat-rich constructions on T cell surfaces referred to as lipid rafts, which carry collectively cell signaling proteins that instruct the T cell to kill most cancers cells. With out GSLs, these indicators are weaker, making T cells much less efficient at destroying tumors.
Reference: “Glucose-dependent glycosphingolipid biosynthesis fuels CD8+ T cell perform and tumor management” by Joseph Longo, Lisa M. DeCamp, Brandon M. Oswald, Robert Teis, Alfredo Reyes-Oliveras, Michael S. Dahabieh, Abigail E. Ellis, Michael P. Vincent, Hannah Damico, Kristin L. Gallik, Nicole M. Foy, Shelby E. Compton, Colt D. Capan, Kelsey S. Williams, Corinne R. Esquibel, Zachary B. Madaj, Hyoungjoo Lee, Dominic G. Roy, Connie M. Krawczyk, Brian B. Haab and Russell G. Jones, 5 August 2025, Cell Metabolism.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.07.006
Analysis reported on this publication was supported by the Nationwide Institute of Allergy and Infectious Ailments of the Nationwide Institutes of Well being below award no. R01AI165722 (Jones).
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