Northwestern Medicine researchers identified how AMPK influences regulatory T-cell metabolism in harsh environments like cancer and inflammation. This study, led by Singer and Weinberg, emphasizes the importance of Tregs in immune regulation. While they suppress anti-tumor responses, understanding their metabolism provides insights into potential cancer therapies. AMPK acts as a cellular fuel gauge, adjusting Treg function by promoting energy balance, crucial for their role in immune responses during metabolic stress. These findings could lead to advancements in treating cancer and tissue injuries.
"AMPK is like the fuel gauge for the cell," said Singer, who is also an associate professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. "It senses when the cell is running low on energy and then it does a number of things to promote energy-replenishing processes so that the cell can function."
The mechanisms by which Treg cells regulate their acute immune responses in metabolically stressed microenvironments, such as those caused by cancer or infection, however, have remained unclear.
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