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Immunometabolism

CD8+ T cells pass the acid test

Lactate build up in the tumour microenvironments is thought to dampen anti-tumour immunity, but in vitro pre-conditioning T cells with lactate enhances anti-tumour activity in vivo in pre-clinical mouse models.

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Fig. 1: Pre-conditioning CD8+ T cells in acidic media (↑[H+]; 10 mM lactate or pH 6.6) increased in vivo anti-tumour function by inducing a stem cell-like gene expression program as a result of metabolic rewiring.

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Acknowledgements

A.S.A. received a postdoctoral fellowship award from the Michael Smith Foundation of Health Research British Columbia, J.H.O. received a 4-Year fellowship from the University of British Columbia and R.I.K.G. received a Scholar award from the Michael Smith Foundation of Health Research British Columbia.

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Correspondence to Ramon I. Klein Geltink.

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Oh, J.H., Archambault, AS. & Klein Geltink, R.I. CD8+ T cells pass the acid test. Nat Metab 5, 201–202 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00738-6

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