Macrophages supply an alternative fuel to some triple-negative breast cancers
Published in Diseases!, Immunology, Journals.
Published October 11, 2026.
Memorial Sloan Kettering highlighted new research on October 9 showing how macrophages can help some triple-negative breast cancers survive nutrient shortages. The underlying study appeared in Science Advances on October 2, 2026.
In laboratory experiments, prolonged low oxygen changed the metabolism of mouse and human macrophages. They released more ornithine, which restored growth in selected breast-cancer cell lines deprived of glutamine or exposed to inhibitors of glutamine metabolism.
The responsive cancer cells used ornithine to make proline, supporting metabolic pathways that help them withstand nutrient stress. In mice, removing tumor-associated myeloid cells reduced tumor growth and impaired proline production in a model resistant to glutaminase inhibition.
The findings suggest that surrounding immune cells can provide an alternative nutrient supply, helping explain resistance to treatments aimed at tumor metabolism. Responses differed across cancer models. This is preclinical evidence, rather than proof of a safe or effective treatment in patients.
Sources: Science Advances study, October 2, 2026; MSK research update, October 9, 2026.