BioCentury
ARTICLE | Targets & Mechanisms

T cell gas, tumor brake

Three studies pump the therapeutic potential of PGC-1α

October 27, 2016 7:00 AM UTC

A trio of studies has converged on a common pathway, headed by the PPAR co-activator PGC-1α, to fight cancer and chronic infections by manipulating either T cell immunotherapies or the tumors themselves. While the findings reveal new biology underlying T cell exhaustion, they could also open the door to therapeutics against a hitherto under-exploited target.

PGC-1α is a transcriptional co-activator commonly referred to as the “master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis.” Its overexpression has been shown to improve outcomes in preclinical models of a wide range of diseases, including atherosclerosis, acute kidney injury (AKI) and cancer, although some studies have shown the opposite - by demonstrating high PGC-1α activity helps tumor cells thrive...