Metabolism Regulation of T Cell Mediated-Tumor Immunity and Immunotherapy

T cells play a crucial role in the immune response against cancer cells. However, the ability of T cells to function and survive within the tumor microenvironment is hindered by metabolic barriers that cancer cells create. Cancer cells undergo metabolic reprogramming, leading to the production of inhibitory metabolites, depletion of nutrients, and hypoxia, which create a hostile environment for T cells. This, in turn, results in T cell exhaustion and anergy, leading to the failure of current immunotherapeutic strategies. Recent studies have shown that manipulating T cell metabolism can enhance the effector function and survival of T cells within the tumor microenvironment. Several metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, fatty acid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism, have been implicated in T cell function. Additionally, immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as PD-1 and CTLA-4, have been shown to affect T cell metabolism, further highlighting the importance of metabolism regulation in cancer immunotherapy. Overall, research in the area of metabolism regulation in T cell-mediated tumor immunity and immunotherapy aims to understand how cancer cells create a hostile metabolic environment for T cells and how to overcome these barriers to enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Therefore, understanding the regulation of metabolism in T cells is critical for improving the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.

The goal of research in the area of metabolism regulation in T cell-mediated tumor immunity and immunotherapy is to understand the metabolic barriers that cancer cells create within the tumor microenvironment, and how these barriers hinder T cell survival and functionality. By gaining a better understanding of the signaling mechanisms involved in T cell metabolism, researchers can identify new targets for immunotherapeutic interventions to enhance the effector function and survival of T cells within the tumor microenvironment.

Understanding the role of nutrients in effector T cells is particularly important in this regard. The deficiency in knowledge regarding the functional importance of nutrients in effector T cells and their signaling pathways hinders the development of effective immune therapeutic regimens for cancer patients. Therefore, identifying the signaling pathways that regulate metabolism in T cells and their relationship with nutrient availability is crucial for improving the efficacy of current immunotherapeutic strategies and developing new ones. Ultimately, this research aims to prevent and treat cancer by enhancing the immune response against cancer cells.

The topic welcomes a range of manuscript types, including original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, methods, data reports, opinion pieces, and general commentary. All contributions should aim to provide insights and advances in our understanding of the metabolism regulation of T cell-mediated tumor immunity and immunotherapy. The following subtopics are welcomed, but are not limited to the following areas:
1. The metabolic barriers within the tumor microenvironment that impede T cell function and survival.
2. The role of nutrients and other microenvironment-derived signals in regulating T cell metabolism.
3. The signaling pathways involved in T cell metabolism and their relationship with nutrient availability.
4. The impact of metabolic interventions on T cell-mediated tumor immunity and immunotherapy.
5. The development of novel metabolic-based immunotherapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.

Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by robust and relevant validation are considered out of scope of this section.