Blocking the TCA Cycle in Cancer Cells Potentiates CD36+ T-cell-Mediated Antitumor Immunity by Suppressing ER Stress-Associated THBS2 Signaling.

ABSTRACT: The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is often rewired or dysregulated to meet the increased energy and biosynthetic demands of rapidly dividing cancer cells, and targeting the TCA cycle is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating cancer. However, tumor cell metabolism can impact other cells in the tumor microenvironment, and disrupting the TCA cycle in cancer cells could impact the antitumor immune response. In this study, using CPI-613 as a model drug for TCA cycle inhibition, we identified a molecular mechanism by which blocking the TCA cycle enhances T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity in the context of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Impairment of mitochondrial metabolism by CPI-613 induced endoplasmic reticulum stress in HNSCC cells, leading to increased expression of

SUBMITTER: Yang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12129664 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature