In vivo CRISPR screens identify the glutamine transporter SLC1A5 as a metabolic barrier to antitumor immunity.

In vivo CRISPR screens reveal SLC1A5 as a key metabolic barrier limiting CD8 T cell responses in tumors, impacting immunotherapy outcomes.

• Why it matters: Understanding how tumor metabolism suppresses immune responses is crucial for improving cancer immunotherapies, as metabolic reprogramming enables immune evasion.
• What they did: The study used in vivo metabolic CRISPR screening to identify SLC1A5, a glutamine transporter, as a tumor-intrinsic regulator that influences immune suppression and therapy response.
• The result: Blocking SLC1A5 disrupts glutamine metabolism, enhances CD8 T cell infiltration and activity, and may improve the effectiveness of immune checkpoint blockade therapies.