Science Spotlight: Tumor lactate as a druggable node in cancer immunity

Two Cell Press papers show tumors exploiting the same lactate pool in two different ways: as a free metabolite that directly blocks DNA sensing and as raw material for a protein modification that rewires T cell biology.

In an Immunity article, Zhejiang University School of Medicine researchers showed that lactate produced by cancer cells directly binds to the cGAMP-binding domain of STING, preventing its activation. Blocking STING pathway activation muted type I interferon signaling and dampened antitumor immunity...