Palmitate drives an epigenetic dead end in CD8 T cells

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in promoting tumor immune evasion and limiting cancer therapy efficacy. A fatty-acid-rich TME not only supports tumor survival but also immune suppression. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are particularly dependent on environmental nutrients. A recent study by Tiberti et al published in Science Immunology dissects this by identifying palmitate as a critical driver of CTL metabolic dysfunction, altering epigenetic acetylation to suppress CTL effector function.