Cancer affects people of all ages, but the risk of developing most forms of this disease increases with age. How the immune system changes with age and the effect that this has on the development or control of cancer is not completely clear. However we do know that, in general, CD8 T cells play a crucial role in immunity to cancer. Upon activation, CD8 T cells undergo a predictable developmental program characterized by distinct phases encompassing first the expansion, and then contraction, of Ag-specific effector (TE) populations, followed by the persistence of long-lived memory cells (TM). Since long-lived CD8 TM cells mediate protective immunity to the re-establishment of cancer, the mechanisms underlying the generation and maintenance of these cells remain a highly desirable target for clinical intervention. Our previous work has revealed that the promotion of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO), a pathway of lipid catabolism that fuels the TCA cycle, in CD8 T cells during an immune response is crucial to their development into long-lived TM cells. We found that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays a central role in this process and exploited this finding to enhance CD8 TM development after vaccination. This proposal extends our novel concept that cellular metabolism regulates the development of CD8 TM and that the mTOR pathway modulates this process. Based on our observations, and a panel of supportive preliminary data, we hypothesize that 1) inhibitors of mTOR promote the development of CD8 TM cells that protect against cancer, and 2) mTOR controls this process by regulating metabolism in these cells. The long-term goal of these studies is to facilitate the development of immunotherapies against cancer.

Public Health Relevance

Our proposal extends our recent novel findings demonstrating that cellular metabolism regulates the development of immunological memory, and that the mTOR pathway modulates this process. We will establish how mTOR regulates metabolism in immune cells and determine whether mTOR inhibitors, which have traditionally been used to treat cancer for their direct anti-tumor properties, can actually promote tumor-specific immunological memory and thereby protect against cancer.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
1R21CA158823-01A1
Application #
8191188
Study Section
Cancer Immunopathology and Immunotherapy Study Section (CII)
Program Officer
Yovandich, Jason L
Project Start
2011-07-01
Project End
2011-12-31
Budget Start
2011-07-01
Budget End
2011-12-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$123,740
Indirect Cost
Name
Trudeau Institute, Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
020658969
City
Saranac Lake
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
12983
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Everts, Bart; Amiel, Eyal; Huang, Stanley Ching-Cheng et al. (2014) TLR-driven early glycolytic reprogramming via the kinases TBK1-IKK? supports the anabolic demands of dendritic cell activation. Nat Immunol 15:323-32
O'Sullivan, David; van der Windt, Gerritje J W; Huang, Stanley Ching-Cheng et al. (2014) Memory CD8(+) T cells use cell-intrinsic lipolysis to support the metabolic programming necessary for development. Immunity 41:75-88
Huang, Stanley Ching-Cheng; Everts, Bart; Ivanova, Yulia et al. (2014) Cell-intrinsic lysosomal lipolysis is essential for alternative activation of macrophages. Nat Immunol 15:846-55
Amiel, Eyal; Everts, Bart; Fritz, Daniel et al. (2014) Mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibition extends cellular lifespan in dendritic cells by preserving mitochondrial function. J Immunol 193:2821-30
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van der Windt, Gerritje J W; Pearce, Erika L (2012) Metabolic switching and fuel choice during T-cell differentiation and memory development. Immunol Rev 249:27-42
Amiel, Eyal; Everts, Bart; Freitas, Tori C et al. (2012) Inhibition of mechanistic target of rapamycin promotes dendritic cell activation and enhances therapeutic autologous vaccination in mice. J Immunol 189:2151-8

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