Abstract 268: Antitumor CD4+ T cells reprogram tumor metabolism to drive progressive tumor regression

Abstract Adoptive cell therapy has revolutionized the landscape of cancer immunotherapy, exhibiting unprecedented success in treating various types of cancer. Substantial investigative efforts have been devoted to gaining a deeper understanding of the ways in which adoptively transferred T cells eliminate tumors and to discovering strategies that enhance T cell functionality in the tumor microenvironment. We have established an experimental mouse model in which adoptive transfer of tumor-specific CD4+ T cells leads to eradication of established tumors. Using this model, we previously reported on the profound disruption of tumor metabolism induced by adoptive T cell therapy. However, the detailed mechanisms that enable tumor-reactive CD4+ T cells to alter tumor metabolism remain largely undefined. In the current study, we aimed to identify the key metabolic enzymes and pathways targeted by antitumor CD4+ T cells that lead to progressive tumor regression. Utilizing next-generation sequencing strategies, including bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing, we examined the metabolic changes cancer cells undergo in response to treatment, and the immune cell compositions in the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, we performed an in vivo CRISPR knockout screen to identify the metabolic genes that either sensitize tumor cells to adoptive cell therapy or contribute to tumor resistance. Results from our study may also illuminate potential targets in cancer metabolism that can be exploited using small-molecule inhibitors when adoptive cell therapy is not feasible. Citation Format: Caitlin Brandle, Ogacheko D. Okoko, Md Yeashin Gazi, Xin Wang, Mercy Kehinde-Ige, Huidong Shi, Gang Zhou. Antitumor CD4+ T cells reprogram tumor metabolism to drive progressive tumor regression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 268.