T cell metabolic fitness plays a pivotal role in anti-tumor immunity and metabolic deregulation causes T cell dysfunction (i.e., exhaustion) in cancer. We identify that the scavenger receptor CD36 limits anti-tumor CD8+ T cell effector functions through lipid peroxidation. In murine tumors, oxidized phospholipids (OxPLs) were highly abundant and CD8+ TILs increased uptake and accumulation of lipids and lipid peroxidation. Functionally exhausted CD8+ TILs substantially increased CD36 expression and CD36-deficient CD8+ TILs had more robust anti-tumor activity and cytokine production than wild-type cells. We further show that CD36 promotes uptake of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (OxLDL) and induces lipid peroxidation in CD8+ TILs, and OxLDL inhibits CD8+ T cell functions in a CD36-dependent manner. Moreover, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) over-expression lowers lipid peroxidation and restores functionalities in CD8+ TILs. These results define a key role for an oxidized lipid-CD36 axis in promoting intratumoral CD8+ T cell dysfunction.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.