Application in humans of a method to enhance the antitumor activity of CD8+ T cells by suppressing glutamine metabolism.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K16446
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 50020:Tumor diagnostics and therapeutics-related
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: Nabe Shogo 愛媛大学, 医学系研究科, 助教 (20795033)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: CD8+ T cell / Glutamine metabolism / immunotherapy

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In our previous study, we established a technique to culture CD8+ T cells isolated from mouse spleen in an environment in which glutamine metabolism is suppressed to prevent T cell exhaustion upon antigen presentation and to culture T cells with high antitumor activity against malignant tumors. In this study, we attempted to develop a technology to apply this technique to T cells isolated from human peripheral blood.

Free Research Field

血液内科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

悪性疾患に対する細胞免疫療法は近年著しい発展を遂げており、次々と新しい薬剤/技術が臨床応用されている。本研究の目指す技術は、細胞免疫療法における免疫細胞の抗腫瘍活性を高める手法であり、これまでの治療では免疫細胞が疲弊して十分な抗腫瘍効果を得られない症例が一定数存在したのを減らし、細胞免疫療法の奏効率を高めることができると期待できる。