A groundbreaking study by Chinese scientists has revealed a surprising trick used by breast cancer cells! Led by Professor Hu Hai of the Hangzhou Institute of Medicine and Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, in collaboration with experts from Sun Yat-Sen University and colleagues, the research shows that breast cancer cells act as "arginine factories." Instead of supporting healthy immune functions, these cells overload the tumor microenvironment with arginine, a vital nutrient.
Using advanced single-cell and metabolic analyses, the team discovered that this excess arginine is absorbed by nearby tumor-associated macrophages. Once reprogrammed, these immune cells silence the main cancer fighters, the CD8+ T cells, creating a pro-tumor state that allows cancer to thrive. ⚡️
The study, published in Cancer Cell on April 3, also revealed that targeting arginine metabolism could restore the immune system’s activity and slow tumor progression. This dual approach—starving tumors of their metabolic lifelines while empowering immune cells—could pave the way for innovative cancer treatments that may extend beyond breast cancer. 🧬
Reference(s):
Study reveals how tumors hijack key nutrient to evade immune attack
cgtn.com
