-
Journal of Hematology & Oncology Sep 2023Lipid metabolic reprogramming is an emerging hallmark of cancer. In order to sustain uncontrolled proliferation and survive in unfavorable environments that lack oxygen... (Review)
Review
Lipid metabolic reprogramming is an emerging hallmark of cancer. In order to sustain uncontrolled proliferation and survive in unfavorable environments that lack oxygen and nutrients, tumor cells undergo metabolic transformations to exploit various ways of acquiring lipid and increasing lipid oxidation. In addition, stromal cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment also undergo lipid metabolic reprogramming, which further affects tumor functional phenotypes and immune responses. Given that lipid metabolism plays a critical role in supporting cancer progression and remodeling the tumor microenvironment, targeting the lipid metabolism pathway could provide a novel approach to cancer treatment. This review seeks to: (1) clarify the overall landscape and mechanisms of lipid metabolic reprogramming in cancer, (2) summarize the lipid metabolic landscapes within stromal cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, and clarify their roles in tumor progression, and (3) summarize potential therapeutic targets for lipid metabolism, and highlight the potential for combining such approaches with other anti-tumor therapies to provide new therapeutic opportunities for cancer patients.
Topics: Humans; Neoplasms; Lipid Metabolism; Phenotype; Stromal Cells; Lipids; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 37700339
DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01498-2 -
Immunity Sep 2023Environmental nutrient availability influences T cell metabolism, impacting T cell function and shaping immune outcomes. Here, we identified ketone bodies...
Environmental nutrient availability influences T cell metabolism, impacting T cell function and shaping immune outcomes. Here, we identified ketone bodies (KBs)-including β-hydroxybutyrate (βOHB) and acetoacetate (AcAc)-as essential fuels supporting CD8 T cell metabolism and effector function. βOHB directly increased CD8 T effector (Teff) cell cytokine production and cytolytic activity, and KB oxidation (ketolysis) was required for Teff cell responses to bacterial infection and tumor challenge. CD8 Teff cells preferentially used KBs over glucose to fuel the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in vitro and in vivo. KBs directly boosted the respiratory capacity and TCA cycle-dependent metabolic pathways that fuel CD8 T cell function. Mechanistically, βOHB was a major substrate for acetyl-CoA production in CD8 T cells and regulated effector responses through effects on histone acetylation. Together, our results identify cell-intrinsic ketolysis as a metabolic and epigenetic driver of optimal CD8 T cell effector responses.
Topics: 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid; Acetylation; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Histones; Ketone Bodies; Animals; Mice
PubMed: 37516105
DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.07.002 -
Cell Aug 2023Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play key roles in regulating cell signaling and physiology in both normal and cancer cells. Advances in mass spectrometry enable...
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play key roles in regulating cell signaling and physiology in both normal and cancer cells. Advances in mass spectrometry enable high-throughput, accurate, and sensitive measurement of PTM levels to better understand their role, prevalence, and crosstalk. Here, we analyze the largest collection of proteogenomics data from 1,110 patients with PTM profiles across 11 cancer types (10 from the National Cancer Institute's Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium [CPTAC]). Our study reveals pan-cancer patterns of changes in protein acetylation and phosphorylation involved in hallmark cancer processes. These patterns revealed subsets of tumors, from different cancer types, including those with dysregulated DNA repair driven by phosphorylation, altered metabolic regulation associated with immune response driven by acetylation, affected kinase specificity by crosstalk between acetylation and phosphorylation, and modified histone regulation. Overall, this resource highlights the rich biology governed by PTMs and exposes potential new therapeutic avenues.
Topics: Humans; Acetylation; Histones; Neoplasms; Phosphorylation; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Proteomics
PubMed: 37582358
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.013 -
Cell May 2024Mitochondria reside at the crossroads of catabolic and anabolic metabolism-the essence of life. How their structure and function are dynamically tuned in response to... (Review)
Review
Mitochondria reside at the crossroads of catabolic and anabolic metabolism-the essence of life. How their structure and function are dynamically tuned in response to tissue-specific needs for energy, growth repair, and renewal is being increasingly understood. Mitochondria respond to intrinsic and extrinsic stresses and can alter cell and organismal function by inducing metabolic signaling within cells and to distal cells and tissues. Here, we review how the centrality of mitochondrial functions manifests in health and a broad spectrum of diseases and aging.
Topics: Humans; Mitochondria; Animals; Aging; Signal Transduction; Energy Metabolism
PubMed: 38788685
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.037 -
Journal of Hematology & Oncology Jan 2024The liver is essential for metabolic homeostasis. The onset of liver cancer is often accompanied by dysregulated liver function, leading to metabolic rearrangements.... (Review)
Review
The liver is essential for metabolic homeostasis. The onset of liver cancer is often accompanied by dysregulated liver function, leading to metabolic rearrangements. Overwhelming evidence has illustrated that dysregulated cellular metabolism can, in turn, promote anabolic growth and tumor propagation in a hostile microenvironment. In addition to supporting continuous tumor growth and survival, disrupted metabolic process also creates obstacles for the anticancer immune response and restrains durable clinical remission following immunotherapy. In this review, we elucidate the metabolic communication between liver cancer cells and their surrounding immune cells and discuss how metabolic reprogramming of liver cancer impacts the immune microenvironment and the efficacy of anticancer immunotherapy. We also describe the crucial role of the gut-liver axis in remodeling the metabolic crosstalk of immune surveillance and escape, highlighting novel therapeutic opportunities.
Topics: Humans; Metabolic Reprogramming; Tumor Microenvironment; Neoplasms; Liver Neoplasms; Energy Metabolism; Glycolysis; Immunotherapy
PubMed: 38297372
DOI: 10.1186/s13045-024-01527-8 -
Nature Communications Oct 2023Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of the immune cells in response to inflammatory stimuli. This metabolic process involves a switch from oxidative phosphorylation...
Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of the immune cells in response to inflammatory stimuli. This metabolic process involves a switch from oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to glycolysis or alterations in other metabolic pathways. However, most of the experimental findings have been acquired in murine immune cells, and little is known about the metabolic reprogramming of human microglia. In this study, we investigate the transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolic profiles of mouse and iPSC-derived human microglia challenged with the TLR4 agonist LPS. We demonstrate that both species display a metabolic shift and an overall increased glycolytic gene signature in response to LPS treatment. The metabolic reprogramming is characterized by the upregulation of hexokinases in mouse microglia and phosphofructokinases in human microglia. This study provides a direct comparison of metabolism between mouse and human microglia, highlighting the species-specific pathways involved in immunometabolism and the importance of considering these differences in translational research.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Humans; Microglia; Lipopolysaccharides; Proteomics; Oxidative Phosphorylation; Glycolysis
PubMed: 37833292
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42096-7 -
Nature Cell Biology Dec 2023The intricate orchestration of enzymatic activities involving nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is essential for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and preserving...
The intricate orchestration of enzymatic activities involving nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is essential for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and preserving genomic integrity. As a co-enzyme, NAD plays a key role in regulating metabolic pathways, such as glycolysis and Kreb's cycle. ADP-ribosyltransferases (PARPs) and sirtuins rely on NAD to mediate post-translational modifications of target proteins. The activation of PARP1 in response to DNA breaks leads to rapid depletion of cellular NAD compromising cell viability. Therefore, the levels of NAD must be tightly regulated. Here we show that exogenous NAD, but not its precursors, has a direct effect on mitochondrial activity. Short-term incubation with NAD boosts Kreb's cycle and the electron transport chain and enhances pyrimidine biosynthesis. Extended incubation with NAD results in depletion of pyrimidines, accumulation of purines, activation of the replication stress response and cell cycle arrest. Moreover, a combination of NAD and 5-fluorouridine selectively kills cancer cells that rely on de novo pyrimidine synthesis. We propose an integrated model of how NAD regulates nucleotide metabolism, with relevance to healthspan, ageing and cancer therapy.
Topics: NAD; Glycolysis; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Genomics; DNA Replication
PubMed: 37957325
DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01280-z -
Basic Research in Cardiology Nov 2023Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major threat to human health, accounting for 46% of non-communicable disease deaths. Glycolysis is a conserved and rigorous biological... (Review)
Review
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major threat to human health, accounting for 46% of non-communicable disease deaths. Glycolysis is a conserved and rigorous biological process that breaks down glucose into pyruvate, and its primary function is to provide the body with the energy and intermediate products needed for life activities. The non-glycolytic actions of enzymes associated with the glycolytic pathway have long been found to be associated with the development of CVD, typically exemplified by metabolic remodeling in heart failure, which is a condition in which the heart exhibits a rapid adaptive response to hypoxic and hypoxic conditions, occurring early in the course of heart failure. It is mainly characterized by a decrease in oxidative phosphorylation and a rise in the glycolytic pathway, and the rise in glycolysis is considered a hallmark of metabolic remodeling. In addition to this, the glycolytic metabolic pathway is the main source of energy for cardiomyocytes during ischemia-reperfusion. Not only that, the auxiliary pathways of glycolysis, such as the polyol pathway, hexosamine pathway, and pentose phosphate pathway, are also closely related to CVD. Therefore, targeting glycolysis is very attractive for therapeutic intervention in CVD. However, the relationship between glycolytic pathway and CVD is very complex, and some preclinical studies have confirmed that targeting glycolysis does have a certain degree of efficacy, but its specific role in the development of CVD has yet to be explored. This article aims to summarize the current knowledge regarding the glycolytic pathway and its key enzymes (including hexokinase (HK), phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK1), aldolase (Aldolase), phosphoglycerate metatase (PGAM), enolase (ENO) pyruvate kinase (PKM) lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) for their role in cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart failure, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis) and possible emerging therapeutic targets.
Topics: Humans; Cardiovascular Diseases; Heart Failure; Oxidative Phosphorylation; Aldehyde-Lyases; Metabolic Networks and Pathways
PubMed: 37938421
DOI: 10.1007/s00395-023-01018-w -
The Journal of Clinical Investigation Jan 2024Immunometabolism is a burgeoning field of research that investigates how immune cells harness nutrients to drive their growth and functions. Myeloid cells play a pivotal... (Review)
Review
Immunometabolism is a burgeoning field of research that investigates how immune cells harness nutrients to drive their growth and functions. Myeloid cells play a pivotal role in tumor biology, yet their metabolic influence on tumor growth and antitumor immune responses remains inadequately understood. This Review explores the metabolic landscape of tumor-associated macrophages, including the immunoregulatory roles of glucose, fatty acids, glutamine, and arginine, alongside the tools used to perturb their metabolism to promote antitumor immunity. The confounding role of metabolic inhibitors on our interpretation of myeloid metabolic phenotypes will also be discussed. A binary metabolic schema is currently used to describe macrophage immunological phenotypes, characterizing inflammatory M1 phenotypes, as supported by glycolysis, and immunosuppressive M2 phenotypes, as supported by oxidative phosphorylation. However, this classification likely underestimates the variety of states in vivo. Understanding these nuances will be critical when developing interventional metabolic strategies. Future research should focus on refining drug specificity and targeted delivery methods to maximize therapeutic efficacy.
Topics: Humans; Macrophages; Oxidative Phosphorylation; Myeloid Cells; Immunotherapy; Neoplasms
PubMed: 38226622
DOI: 10.1172/JCI175445 -
Molecular Cell Aug 2023Ubiquitin-dependent control of mitochondrial dynamics is important for protein quality and neuronal integrity. Mitofusins, mitochondrial fusion factors, can integrate...
Ubiquitin-dependent control of mitochondrial dynamics is important for protein quality and neuronal integrity. Mitofusins, mitochondrial fusion factors, can integrate cellular stress through their ubiquitylation, which is carried out by multiple E3 enzymes in response to many different stimuli. However, the molecular mechanisms that enable coordinated responses are largely unknown. Here we show that yeast Ufd2, a conserved ubiquitin chain-elongating E4 enzyme, is required for mitochondrial shape adjustments. Under various stresses, Ufd2 translocates to mitochondria and triggers mitofusin ubiquitylation. This elongates ubiquitin chains on mitofusin and promotes its proteasomal degradation, leading to mitochondrial fragmentation. Ufd2 and its human homologue UBE4B also target mitofusin mutants associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a hereditary sensory and motor neuropathy characterized by progressive loss of the peripheral nerves. This underscores the pathophysiological importance of E4-mediated ubiquitylation in neurodegeneration. In summary, we identify E4-dependent mitochondrial stress adaptation by linking various metabolic processes to mitochondrial fusion and fission dynamics.
Topics: Humans; Acclimatization; Mitochondria; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Ubiquitin; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; Ubiquitination; Mitochondrial Proteins
PubMed: 37595558
DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.07.021