How sugar helps brain tumors evade immune response
Researchers at Northwestern Medicine found that glioblastoma, a super-aggressive brain tumor, uses a clever trick: its microglia burn fructose (a common sugar) using a special transporter called GLUT5.
This helps the tumor dodge the immune system and keep growing.
Microglia and their GLUT5 transporter
Microglia uniquely express the fructose transporter GLUT5 among immune cells in the glioblastoma microenvironment and are the main immune cells shown to metabolize fructose.
This unique pathway lets them suppress immune responses right where it matters most, helping the tumor thrive.
Deleting GLUT5 sparks anti-tumor response
When scientists deleted GLUT5 in mouse models, tumor growth halted and survival improved.
The immune system kicked into gear, with more active T cells fighting back.
As senior author Jason Miska put it, across several mouse models, removing the fructose transporter prevented tumor growth.
New treatment avenues for glioblastoma
These findings open up new ideas for treating glioblastoma by targeting GLUT5.
With five-year survival rates still under 7% for glioblastoma, any new approach could be a big deal for patients and their families.