Blocking Ant2 Protein Supercharges T Cells Against Cancer
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- Researchers at Hebrew University discovered that blocking a protein called Ant2 forces T cells to rewire their energy production, making them significantly better at recognizing and killing cancer cells in mice.
- PhD student Omri Yosef and Prof. Michael Berger led the study from Hebrew University's Faculty of Medicine, collaborating with Prof. Magdalena Huber of Philipps University of Marburg and Prof. Eyal Gottlieb of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
- The study, published in Nature Communications, disrupted a specific energy pathway inside T cell mitochondria, producing cells with improved endurance, faster multiplication, and greater precision in targeting cancer.
- The metabolic shift can be triggered not only through genetic changes but also with drugs, raising the possibility of translating the discovery into real-world cancer therapies rather than requiring gene-edited cell therapies.
- Prof. Berger said disabling Ant2 'triggered a complete shift in how T cells produce and use energy,' adding that the work highlights how deeply interconnected metabolism and immunity truly are.
Why it matters: Most cancer immunotherapy research directs immune cells toward tumors. This study instead rewires the cells' internal energy machinery, and critically the effect can be achieved with drugs, not just genetic engineering. That drug-triggerable pathway is the step that separates a mouse-model finding from a candidate for clinical development.
