S-adenosylmethionine metabolism shapes CD8+ T cell functions in colorectal cancer

Abstract Metabolite nutrients within the tumor microenvironment shape both tumor progression and immune cell functionality. It remains elusive how the metabolic interaction between T cells and tumor cells results in different anti-cancer immunotherapeutic responses. Here, we use untargeted metabolom...

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Main Authors: Xiaohua Yang, Tianzhang Kou, Hongmiao Wang, Ji Zhu, Zheng-Jiang Zhu, Yuping Cai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-05-01
Series:Cancer & Metabolism
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40170-025-00394-2
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Summary:Abstract Metabolite nutrients within the tumor microenvironment shape both tumor progression and immune cell functionality. It remains elusive how the metabolic interaction between T cells and tumor cells results in different anti-cancer immunotherapeutic responses. Here, we use untargeted metabolomics to investigate the metabolic heterogeneity in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Our analysis reveals enhanced S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) metabolism in microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC, a subtype known for its resistance to immunotherapy. Functional studies reveal that SAM and SAH enhance the initial activation and effector functions of CD8+ T cells. Instead, cancer cells outcompete CD8+ T cells for SAM and SAH availability to impair T cell survival. In vivo, SAM supplementation promotes T cell proliferation and reduces exhaustion of the tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells, thus suppressing tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. This study uncovers the metabolic crosstalk between T cells and tumor cells, which drives the development of tumors resistant to immunotherapy.
ISSN:2049-3002