T cell stemness and dysfunction in tumors are triggered by a common mechanism.
A paradox of tumor immunology is that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are dysfunctional in situ, yet are capable of stem cell-like behavior including self-renewal, expansion, and multipotency, resulting in the eradication of large metastatic tumors. We find that the overabundance of potassium in the tumor microenvironment underlies this dichotomy, triggering suppression of T cell effector function while preserving stemness. High levels of extracellular potassium constrain T cell effector programs by limiting nutrient uptake, thereby inducing autophagy and reduction of histone acetylation at effector and exhaustion loci, which in turn produces CD8+ T cells with improved in vivo persistence, multipotency, and tumor clearance. This mechanistic knowledge advances our understanding of T cell dysfunction and may lead to novel approaches that enable the development of enhanced T cell strategies for cancer immunotherapy.
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Related Subject Headings
- Tumor Microenvironment
- Stem Cells
- Potassium
- Neoplasms
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Immune Tolerance
- Humans
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Related Subject Headings
- Tumor Microenvironment
- Stem Cells
- Potassium
- Neoplasms
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Immune Tolerance
- Humans