Immune system meets cancer: Checkpoint identified to fight solid tumors

Fig. Immunofluorescence image of the expression of PHGDH ( red ) and CD3 T cells ( green ) in cryosectioned AE17 mesothelioma. C: Zhengnan Cai Checkpoint PHDGH in tumor-associated macrophages influences immune response and tumor growth A study by a scientific team from the University of Vienna and the MedUni Vienna, recently published in the top-class journal Cellular & Molecular Immunology , has a promising result from tumor research: The enzyme phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHDGH) acts as a metabolic checkpoint in the function of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and thus on tumor growth. Targeting PHGDH to modulate the cancer-fighting immune system could be a new starting point in cancer treatment and improve the effectiveness of clinical immunotherapies. Our immune system constantly fights emerging cancer cells that arise from mutations. This process is controlled, among other things, by different types of macrophages. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are among the most abundant immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.