Sulfur partitioning from cysteine controls T cell proliferation and effector function - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #Anti-tumor immunity
- #T cell metabolism
- #Cysteine partitioning
- CD8+ T cells use cysteine for both glutathione (GSH) production, influencing effector functions, and for FeS cluster synthesis via NFS1, supporting proliferation.
- Deletion of NFS1 in activated CD8+ T cells leads to exhaustion and reduces anti-cancer immunity, while blocking cysteine flux into GSH or enhancing FeS metabolism improves tumor control.
- Disrupted FeS metabolism is linked to T cell exhaustion in human hepatocellular carcinoma, highlighting the importance of targeted cysteine flux control to retain beneficial effects and eliminate restraints on function.
- The study demonstrates that understanding metabolite partitioning, like cysteine, can apply to other metabolites in immune cell function, enabling precise modulation for therapeutic purposes.