Fatty acid metabolism complements glycolysis in the selective regulatory T cell expansion during tumor growth

Significance

Recent studies have established that metabolic restrains, such as glucose restriction, impair the activities of effector T cells in the tumor microenvironment. In the same context, a huge expansion of activated Treg cells in tumor tissues has been described in mice and humans, contributing to the suppression of protective antitumor immunity. Our data demonstrate that Tregs are committed to survive and proliferate in such a hostile milieu thanks to a metabolic advantage based on the combination of glycolysis and fatty acid synthesis and oxidation. This allows Tregs to prevail over conventional T cells that rely primarily on the glycolytic pathway for their metabolic demands. Awareness of the metabolic dynamics of Tregs in tumor could provide a means for cancer immunotherapy.