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Cancer-fueling protein turned into weapon against tumors, study finds

Activating PPARD in immune cells supercharges CAR T cells against colorectal cancer in laboratory models

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered that a protein long known to help cancer grow can, when activated in immune cells, make them more effective at attacking tumors. The finding, published in Nature Immunology, raises the prospect of new treatments for colorectal cancer, which has become the leading cause of cancer-related death among people under 50.

The protein, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARD), normally helps cells burn fat for energy. In cancer cells, PPARD supports tumor growth. But researchers led by Assistant Professor Semir Beyaz found that activating the same protein in immune cells shifts the tumour environment in favour of the immune system.

"It's all about cell fitness," Beyaz said. "What cells eat affects who they are. When immune cells burn more fat, they become more fit for fighting cancer."

The team tested the approach on engineered immune cells known as CAR T cells, which are modified to recognise and attack cancer. When PPARD was activated in CAR T cells and tested against human colorectal cancer models, including miniature organoids grown from patient tissue and human tumours implanted in mice, tumour growth slowed or stopped.

The research could offer a new path for patients with difficult-to-treat colorectal cancer who have limited options after chemotherapy and newer immunotherapies fail. The work suggests that metabolic fitness of immune cells is a promising target for improving cancer treatments.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in people under 50, and many patients do not respond to existing immunotherapies.
  • The discovery suggests a way to reprogram immune cells metabolically, potentially making CAR T cell therapy effective against solid tumours, where it has struggled.
  • If confirmed in human trials, activating PPARD could become an adjunct to existing cell therapies for several cancer types.

Background

PPARD is a transcription factor that regulates how cells metabolise fat. It belongs to a family of proteins that have been studied for roles in metabolism and inflammation. CAR T cells are a form of immunotherapy where a patient's T cells are engineered to recognise cancer cells; they have been successful in blood cancers but less so in solid tumours. The Cold Spring Harbor team hypothesised that the metabolic demands of immune cells and cancer cells might overlap, and that altering immune cell metabolism could tip the balance.

Key Perspectives

Researchers (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory): They see PPARD activation as a way to improve immune cell 'fitness' by enhancing fat burning, making them more effective against tumours. The experiments across multiple models strengthen the case. Oncologists: Will want to see if the effect translates from mouse models and organoids to human patients. Safety is a concern because PPARD activation in cancer cells could theoretically help them if misdirected. Critics/Skeptics: The findings are pre-clinical. PPARD activation must be carefully targeted to immune cells only. The complexity of the tumour microenvironment may limit efficacy in some patients, and metabolic pathways can have unintended consequences.

What to Watch

  • Whether the research team or others begin Phase I clinical trials of PPARD-activated CAR T cells in colorectal cancer patients.
  • Safety data on systemic PPARD activation and any effects on normal tissues.
  • Biomarkers that predict which patients might benefit from this metabolic reprogramming.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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