Professor Ross Kedl, one of the researchers, claiming that the function of mitochondria in cells will support the extent of cell division, and this may be of great significance for future researchers to develop vaccines for the treatment of various diseases. T cells that respond to infection usually rely on glucose as a source of energy, which is the same to the cancer cells. When T cells begin to attack tumors, tumor cells will compete for glucose, thereby, causing T cells to lose glucose as a source of energy, however, while T cells no longer need glucose, they may be effective in helping fight against tumor cells.
It may be useful to treat cancer when a T cell produced by a subunit vaccine is combined with a drug that blocks aerobic glycolysis. Aerobic glycolysis, as a favourite cell metabolic pathway of tumor cells, when T cells begin to attack tumor cells freely instead of competing with glucose, tumor growth will be effectively inhibited. Researcher Jared Klarquist explains that scientists are now delving into the reactions of T cells to infections in the body, and if they can figure out how cells respond, perhaps a more effective vaccine could be developed. In this study, the researchers discovered a non-infectious vaccine strategy that could induce the same level of T cell immune defense from infection.
The researchers point out that the rules that direct T cells to respond to infectious agents may be different from the response of cells to subunit vaccines. In fact, T cells from subunit vaccines may not be able to reproduce without the need for glucose. Klarquist said that it was widely believed before this findings that mitochondria excel at making energy, but T cells still need glucose to produce cellular raw materials such as proteins, fats and nucleic acids. Elucidating the mechanisms by which the collective immune response is induced after vaccination may provide researchers with the opportunity to help with metabolic or nutritional interventions that enhance the body's vaccine-induced immune response.
The results of this study may be applied in the development of new cancer immunotherapy. At present, researchers are investigating how relevant strategies can positively influence the therapeutic effects of immune-based cancer therapies in patients in the clinic.
Recently, a research report published in the international journal Science Immunology, scientists from the University of Colorado found that the disease-resistant T cells obtained from the vaccine may not need glucose to rapidly multiply, related research results may provide new ideas and hopes for the development of new immunotherapy for cancer patients.
In this study, the researchers analyzed patients who were vaccinated with subunit vaccines which is made with a portion of the disease virus to test the T cells produced in their immune systems. The researchers found that the key white blood cells (T cells) that attack and suppress infection do not rely on glucose to accelerate rapid cell division, the cell division will occur every 2-4 hours. Instead, these white blood cells take advantage mitochondria to support cell growth and division.
It may be useful to treat cancer when a T cell produced by a subunit vaccine is combined with a drug that blocks aerobic glycolysis. Aerobic glycolysis, as a favourite cell metabolic pathway of tumor cells, when T cells begin to attack tumor cells freely instead of competing with glucose, tumor growth will be effectively inhibited. Researcher Jared Klarquist explains that scientists are now delving into the reactions of T cells to infections in the body, and if they can figure out how cells respond, perhaps a more effective vaccine could be developed. In this study, the researchers discovered a non-infectious vaccine strategy that could induce the same level of T cell immune defense from infection.