Patrick Hwu: Fatty acids as fuel source for antitumor CD8-positive T cells
Patrick Hwu, President and CEO of Moffitt Cancer Center, shared a post on X:
“Did you know fatty acids are an important fuel source for antitumor CD8-positive T cells? However, the inhibitory tumor microenvironment makes it challenging for T cells to take up fatty acids. In a recent report, Juan Cubillos-Ruiz, Sung-Min Hwang, Anna Vähärautio, Dmitriy Zamarin Et al. found that the protein transgelin 2 (TAGLN2) is important for T cells to take up these fatty acids, but its expression is compromised when T cells infiltrate the tumor.
Restoring TAGLN2 expression in CART cells enhanced their antitumor function. This interesting study has direct applicability to next-generation cell therapies for cancer. Here’s a link to the full study in nature.”
Transgelin 2 guards T cell lipid metabolism and antitumour function
Authors: Sung-Min Hwang, Deepika Awasthi, Jieun Jeong, Tito A. Sandoval, Chang-Suk Chae, Yusibeska Ramos, Chen Tan, Matías Marin Falco, Camilla Salvagno, Alexander Emmanuelli, Ian T. McBain, Bikash Mishra, Lionel B. Ivashkiv, Dmitriy Zamarin, Evelyn Cantillo, Eloise Chapman-Davis, Kevin Holcomb, Diana K. Morales, Xiaoqing Yu, Paulo C. Rodriguez, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Anna Vähärautio, Minkyung Song and Juan R. Cubillos-Ruiz.
Dr. Patrick Hwu, MD, currently serves as the President and CEO of Moffitt Cancer Center. With a focus on understanding the dynamics between tumors and the immune system, Dr. Hwu’s research has been pivotal in advancing gene-modified T cell therapy. He notably contributed seminal work on the development of the first chimeric antigen receptor aimed at combating cancer. His research portfolio extends to vaccines, adoptive T-cell therapies, and mechanisms of immune resistance.
Before joining, Dr. Hwu held numerous leadership roles at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for over 17 years. Notably, he served as the inaugural Chairman of the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology in 2003, as well as the Associate Director of the Center for Cancer Immunology Research. Additionally, he chaired the Department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology, demonstrating his commitment to advancing cancer treatment and research.
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