Vanessa's Comment:

In this Northwestern study, researchers found that glioblastoma (GBM) tumors 'hijack' microglia metabolism by exploiting a fructose transporter called GLUT5, causing the microglia (the brain's resident immune cells) to take up and metabolize fructose in a way that suppresses anti-tumor immunity. To test its role, they used genetically engineered mice lacking GLUT5.

In multiple mouse GBM models, GLUT5-deficient mice showed significantly reduced tumor growth and improved survival, indicating this pathway is required for tumor progression. The microglia became more inflammatory and less immunosuppressive, and there was greater activation of a broader immune response, including increased antigen presentation, higher inflammatory signaling, and shifts toward more active T cell responses (including CD8+ T cells).

The study also showed that within the tumor microenvironment, when microglia are exposed to fructose, they become less effective at immune functions like phagocytosis and inflammatory signaling, helping tumors evade immune attack. Removing GLUT5 reversed these effects.

This approach is not yet translatable to humans, because the study used genetic deletion rather than a drug. However, the target itself (GLUT5) is present in human glioblastoma microglia, and the results suggest that developing drugs to block this target could be a viable strategy, especially in combination with immunotherapy.

 

 

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Posted on: 03/23/2026

Brain tumors hjiack sugar metabolism to evade immune attack

 

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