Metabolic conditioning of CD8+ effector T cells for adoptive cell therapy

Effector CD8+ T cell (TE) proliferation and cytokine production depends on enhanced glucose metabolism. However, circulating T cells continuously adapt to glucose fluctuations caused by diet and inter-organ metabolite exchange. Here we show that transient glucose restriction (TGR) in activated CD8+ TE metabolically primes effector functions and enhances tumour clearance in mice. Tumor-specific TGR CD8+ TE co-cultured with tumor spheroids in replete conditions display enhanced effector molecule expression, and adoptive transfer of these cells in a murine lymphoma model leads to greater numbers of immunologically functional circulating donor cells and complete tumor clearance. Mechanistically, TGR TE undergo metabolic remodelling that upon glucose re-exposure supports enhanced glucose uptake, increased carbon allocation to the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and a cellular redox shift toward a more reduced state, all indicators of a more anabolic program to support their enhanced functionality. Thus, metabolic conditioning could be utilized to promote efficiency of T cell products for adoptive cellular therapy. CD8+ T cells were obtained from spleens and lymph nodes isolated from 8-12-week-old OT-I mice. Single cells were sequenced using the 10x Chromium controller. One sample per treatment was used.