Supplementing taurine may play an important role in anti-cancer therapy

Review by Prof. Zikai Wang (China)

Study Summary 

Taurine is used to bolster immunity, but its effects on antitumor immunity are unclear. This study shows that the taurine transporter SLC6A6 is linked to aggressiveness and poor outcomes in multiple cancers. SLC6A6-mediated taurine uptake promotes the malignant behaviors of tumor cells but also increases the survival and effector function of CD8+ T cells. Tumor cells outcompete CD8+ T cells for taurine by overexpressing SLC6A6, which induces T cell death and malfunction, fueling tumor progression. Taurine deficiency in CD8+ T cells promotes ATF4 transcription in a PERK-JAK1-STAT3 signaling-dependent manner. Increased ATF4 transactivates multiple immune checkpoint genes and induces T cell exhaustion. Besides, this study identified taurine transporter SLC6A6 as a molecular determinant involved in the progression and recurrence of gastric cancer. These findings suggest that tumoral-SLC6A6-mediated taurine deficiency promotes immune evasion and that taurine supplementation reinvigorates exhausted CD8+ T cells and increases the efficacy of cancer therapies.

Commentary 

This study reveals the crucial role of SLC6A6 in cancer progression, particularly how it regulates the tumor immune environment and CD8+T cell function by affecting the availability of taurine. The discovery of SLC6A6 not only provides a new target for cancer treatment but also offers a new strategy for improving the efficacy of current immunotherapy, namely activating exhausted T cells through taurine supplementation. This study provides a new perspective for understanding the mechanism of cancer immune escape and a scientific basis for developing new treatment strategies. Future trials should examine taurine’s effects on various cancer types in different patient populations and geographic regions.

Citation

Cao T, Zhang W, Wang Q, et al. Cancer SLC6A6-mediated taurine uptake transactivates immune checkpoint genes and induces exhaustion in CD8+ T cells. Cell. 2024;187(9):2288-2304.e27. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.011

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