Research uncovers sugar’s hidden cancer-fighting role

Scientists at the Van Andel Institute have uncovered a groundbreaking role for glucose—the body’s most common sugar—in strengthening the immune system’s fight against cancer.

The study, published on September 2, 2025, in the journal *Cell Metabolism*, reveals that glucose does far more than provide energy; it also helps immune cells build critical structures needed to attack tumors.

For years, scientists believed glucose was simply the fuel that powered T cells, the immune system’s frontline fighters responsible for identifying and destroying cancer cells.

However, this new research shows that glucose acts as a vital building block, enabling T cells to create specialized molecules known as glycosphingolipids.

These sugar-fat compounds are essential for forming “lipid rafts” on the surface of T cells.

These lipid rafts function like command centers. They organize proteins that direct the T cells to recognize and aggressively attack cancer cells.

When glucose levels are insufficient, T cells produce fewer GSLs, weakening these signals and making the immune cells less effective in combating tumors.

Dr. Joseph Longo, the study’s lead author, explained: “We knew T cells needed glucose, but it was thought to be just an energy source.

What we’ve found is that glucose helps T cells build large molecules that are crucial for their growth, signaling, and cancer-killing activity.”

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The discovery marks an important shift in how scientists understand immune cell metabolism.

Rather than viewing glucose only as a nutrient that fuels cell activity, the research highlights its role in equipping immune cells with tools to function at their peak.

Dr. Russell Jones, the senior author, emphasized the broader implications: “Both T cells and cancer cells depend on nutrients like glucose.

By understanding how T cells use glucose to their advantage, we can find new ways to strengthen the immune system’s natural ability to fight cancer, and even make cancer cells more vulnerable to treatment.”

The study was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and reported by Drug Target Review.

It suggests that therapies which optimize how T cells metabolize glucose could enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy—one of the most promising areas of modern cancer treatment.

Immunotherapies work by boosting the body’s own immune system to recognize and destroy tumors, and this new research provides insights into how that process could be improved.

Beyond treatment, the findings offer hope for developing drugs that fine-tune nutrient use in cancer patients.

By ensuring T cells have enough glucose for both energy and GSL production, researchers believe patients’ immune responses could be made more resilient in the harsh environment of growing tumors.

While more research is needed, this breakthrough opens a promising chapter in cancer science.

For patients, it represents hope that something as simple and fundamental as glucose could play a central role in future cancer therapies—transforming how the body’s natural defenses are supported in the fight against one of the world’s deadliest diseases.

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