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Scientists found a way to starve cancer while making immune cells stronger
Researchers have developed an experimental cell therapy that fights cancer by depriving tumors of one of their most important fuel sources. Many cancer cells depend on the amino acid glutamine to produce energy, build new cells, and grow rapidly. The engineered immune cells are designed to absorb large amounts of glutamine from the tumor environment, leaving cancer cells with too little of this essential nutrient to survive. At the same time, the therapy remains active in these low nutrient conditions, allowing the immune cells to continue attacking the tumor.
This approach creates a double attack against cancer. As the engineered immune cells consume glutamine, they also become more effective at recognizing and killing tumor cells. Meanwhile, the starving cancer cells struggle to repair themselves, divide, and resist the immune response. Researchers say this strategy transforms the tumor's own nutrient supply into a weakness rather than an advantage.
Scientists believe nutrient competition could become a powerful new direction in cancer treatment. Instead of targeting cancer cells directly with drugs alone, future therapies may reshape the tumor environment itself, making it increasingly difficult for cancer to grow while giving the immune system a much greater chance of eliminating the disease.
RESEARCH PAPER
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-024-02551-2




