Ludwig Princeton study reveals how cancer acts as a systemic disease

Researchers at Ludwig Princeton have discovered how cancer functions as a systemic disease by communicating with distant, noncancerous organs to evade the immune system. According to a study published in Cell Metabolism, tumors release small particles that reprogram fat metabolism in the liver.

This metabolic shift undermines the function of CD8+ T cells, which are the primary anti-tumor forces of the immune system. The study identifies metadherin—a protein encoded by the MTDH gene that regulates fat metabolism—as a key mediator in this metabolic-immune crosstalk.

In preclinical models, researchers found that blocking MTDH in both liver cells and CD8+ T cells enhances anti-tumor immunity, reduces tumor growth and metastasis, and improves the effectiveness of immunotherapy. This suggests that targeting MTDH could provide a new therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.