Glucose is extra than simply an important gasoline for T cells—vital quantities of glucose are also used to construct massive molecules referred to as glycosphingolipids (GSLs). These sugar-fat compounds are important for T cell progress, inside communication and making proteins that T cells use to fight most cancers. The findings, revealed in Cell Metabolism by Van Andel Institute scientists, provide a possible path towards bettering T cells’ means to struggle most cancers and an infection. Picture credit score: Gabrielle Eisma. Credit score: Van Andel Institute / Gabrielle Eisma
For cancer- and infection-fighting T cells, glucose presents excess of a easy sugar rush.
A brand new discovery by Van Andel Institute scientists reveals that glucose, an important mobile gasoline that powers immune cells, additionally aids in T cells’ inside communication and boosts their cancer-fighting properties. The findings might assist optimize T cells’ means to fight most cancers and different illnesses.
A examine describing the work is revealed in Cell Metabolism.
“Immune cells are highly influenced by their environment,” mentioned Joseph Longo, Ph.D., the examine’s first creator and a postdoctoral fellow within the lab of Russell Jones, Ph.D. “We knew that T cells need access to glucose to function, but we didn’t know exactly why. It was previously thought that T cells mainly break down glucose for energy, but our new work shows that T cells use glucose as a building block for other molecules that are necessary to support T cells’ anti-cancer properties.”
The findings reveal that T cells allocate vital parts of glucose to construct massive 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.
Credit score: Cell Metabolism (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.07.006
GSLs assist type fat-rich buildings 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.
“Both T cells and cancer cells leverage different nutrients to support varying aspects of their function,” Jones mentioned. “The more we know about these different fuel sources, the better we can support T cells’ innate cancer-fighting abilities while also developing ways to possibly make cancer cells more vulnerable to immune attack.”
Extra info:
Joseph Longo et al, Glucose-dependent glycosphingolipid biosynthesis fuels CD8+ T cell operate and tumor management, Cell Metabolism (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.07.006
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Glucose helps T cells construct cancer-fighting buildings, not simply present vitality (2025, August 5)
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