Title: Arginases and anti-tumor immune response

Date: 11th June 2021 (Friday)

Time: 12:00 pm (Central European Summer Time)

Host: prof. Joanna Trylska

Virtual seminar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81817087386

Meeting ID: 818 1708 7386

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Abstract:

Depletion of essential (L-tryptophan) or semi-essential (L-arginine) amino acids has been shown to suppress antitumor immune responses. Arginase-1 (ARG1) is a cytosolic enzyme catalyzing degradation of L-arginine to L-ornithine and urea, depleting tumor microenvironment of this compound. T cells need arginine to support their proliferation in the lymph nodes and to promote their ability to kill tumor cells. Arginine deprivation is associated with decreased proliferation potential of activated T cells as well as with down-regulation of CD3 zeta, a major signal transducer from the T cell receptor (TCR). Thus, arginine deprivation due to increased ARG1 activity is a very smart strategy of the tumor to avoid T cell-mediated effector mechanisms and, at the same time, one of the potential targets of anti-tumor therapy. ARG1 is overexpressed not only by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), myeloid-derived suppressory cells (MDSCs) but also numerous cancer cells such as ovarian cancer, renal cell carcinoma, breast carcinoma, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer. During my talk I will present our recent data on the role of cancer cell- derived, MDSCs and macrophages-derived as well as CD71+ erythroid cells-derived ARG in the development of anti-tumor immune response. I will also discuss the clinical potential of targeting ARG in cancer therapy.