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News
A cancer-promoting protein just got a surprising new job: fighting tumors. Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory found that activating PPARD in immune cells supercharges their ability to attack cancer. The approach showed promise against colorectal, breast, and ovarian cancers and melanoma in lab experiments, potentially opening a new door for patients who've run out of options.
A protein long known for helping cancer grow may have a secret second life as a tumor-fighter. Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) discovered that activating PPARD — a protein that regulates how cells burn fat for energy — in immune cells dramatically boosts their ability to attack tumors. The findings, published in Nature Immunology, could be a game-changer for patients with hard-to-treat cancers where chemotherapy and immunotherapy have failed.
The team tested PPARD-activated CAR T cells (engineered immune cells designed to target cancer) against multiple experimental models of human colorectal cancer — including patient-derived organoids and mouse models — and found that tumor growth slowed or stopped. Promising results were also seen in breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and melanoma, suggesting this could be a broadly applicable strategy.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, and many patients have limited options when standard treatments fail. This research suggests that reprogramming how immune cells use energy — rather than designing entirely new therapies — could make existing immunotherapy tools far more powerful.
