Targeting OXCT1-mediated ketone metabolism reprograms macrophages to promote antitumor immunity via CD8 T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The liver is the main organ of ketogenesis, while ketones are mainly metabolized in peripheral tissues via the critical enzyme 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase 1 (OXCT1). We previously found that ketolysis is reactivated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells through OXCT1 expression to promote tumor progression; however, whether OXCT1 regulates antitumor immunity remains unclear.

METHODS

To investigate the expression pattern of OXCT1 in HCC in vivo, we conducted multiplex immunohistochemistry experiments on human HCC specimens. To explore the role of OXCT1 in mouse HCC tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), we generated LysMOXCT1 (OXCT1 conditional knockout in macrophages) mice.

RESULTS

Here, we found that inhibiting OXCT1 expression in tumor-associated macrophages reduced CD8 T-cell exhaustion through the succinate-H3K4me3-Arg1 axis. Initially, we found that OXCT1 was highly expressed in liver macrophages under steady state and that OXCT expression was further increased in TAMs. OXCT1 deficiency in macrophages suppressed tumor growth by reprogramming TAMs toward an antitumor phenotype, reducing CD8 T-cell exhaustion and increasing CD8 T-cell cytotoxicity. Mechanistically, high OXCT1 expression induced the accumulation of succinate, a byproduct of ketolysis, in TAMs, which promoted Arg1 transcription by increasing the H3K4me3 level in the Arg1 promoter. In addition, pimozide, an inhibitor of OXCT1, suppressed Arg1 expression as well as TAM polarization toward the protumor phenotype, leading to decreased CD8 T-cell exhaustion and slower tumor growth. Finally, high expression of OXCT1 in macrophages was positively associated with poor survival in patients with HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, our results demonstrate that OXCT1 epigenetically suppresses antitumor immunity, suggesting that suppressing OXCT1 activity in TAMs could be an effective approach for treating liver cancer.

IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS

The intricate metabolism of liver macrophages plays a critical role in shaping hepatocellular carcinoma progression and immune modulation. Targeting macrophage metabolism to counteract immune suppression presents a promising avenue for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. Herein, we found that the ketogenesis gene OXCT1 was highly expressed in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and promoted tumor growth by reprogramming TAMs toward a protumor phenotype. Pharmacological targeting or genetic downregulation of OXCT1 in TAMs enhances antitumor immunity and slows tumor growth. Our results suggest that suppressing OXCT1 activity in TAMs could be an effective approach for treating liver cancer.