Phosphocreatine strengthens CD8(+) T cells by remodeling chromatin.

In CD8+ T cells, D-β-hydroxybutyrate (DAHB) increases oxidative phosphorylation and phosphocreatine production, strengthening chromatin accessibility and effector function to limit tumor growth.

• Why it matters: Metabolites can shape T cell gene expression, but it is unclear how mitochondrial ATP production changes connect to chromatin remodeling and antitumor function.
• What they did: Ng et al. used DAHB to boost oxidative phosphorylation and phosphocreatine production, then measured chromatin accessibility and CD8+ T cell effector activity in the context of tumor growth.
• The result: DAHB-linked phosphocreatine production is associated with more accessible chromatin and stronger CD8+ T cell effector function, enabling tumor growth limitation.

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