HMGB1: The metabolic weapon in the arsenal of NK cells

Adelheid Cerwenka; Jürgen Kopitz; Peter Schirmacher; Wilfried Roth; Georg Gdynia

doi:10.1080/23723556.2016.1175538

HMGB1: The metabolic weapon in the arsenal of NK cells

Mol Cell Oncol. 2016 Apr 15;3(4):e1175538. doi: 10.1080/23723556.2016.1175538. eCollection 2016 Jul.

Authors

Adelheid Cerwenka¹, Jürgen Kopitz², Peter Schirmacher², Wilfried Roth³, Georg Gdynia⁴

Affiliations

¹ German Cancer Research Center, Research Group Innate Immunity , Heidelberg, Germany.
² Institute of Pathology, University of Heidelberg , Heidelberg, Germany.
³ Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz , Mainz, Germany.
⁴ Institute of Pathology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; German Cancer Research Center, Clinical Cooperation Unit Molecular Tumor Pathology, Heidelberg, Germany.

Abstract

Targeting tumor glycolysis would hit the main energy source of cancer. We show that natural killer (NK) cells pursue this strategy by employing high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein-a well-known proinflammatory cytokine-to specifically target glycolysis in cancer cells. This opens up new perspectives for cancer immunotherapy.

Keywords: Cancer; HMGB1; NK cells; Natural Killer Cells; cell death; immunotherapy; innate immunity; metabolism.