Obesity is a major risk factor for cancer and a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice impairs T8 + T cell function in the tumor microenvironment (TME) by accelerating tumor growth. Tumor and CD8 + T cells have been shown to show distinct metabolic adaptations in obesity. Tumor cells increase fat intake with HFD, while CD8 + penetrates the tumor, but T cells do not.
These different adaptations lead to impaired distribution of fatty acids in tumors with HFD, reducing T8 + T cell infiltration and function. Blocking metabolic reprogramming by cancer cells in obese mice improves anti-cancer immunity.
Analysis of human cancers reveals similar transcriptional changes in CD8 + T cell markers, suggesting interventions in metabolism to improve cancer immunotherapy.
SOURCE: Harvard Med. School {Dec. 2020}
