Dual Ribosome Profiling reveals metabolic limitations of cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment

Abstract The tumor microenvironment (TME) influences cancer cell metabolism and survival. However, how immune and stromal cells respond to metabolic stress in vivo, and how nutrient limitations affect therapy, remains poorly understood. Here, we introduce Dual Ribosome Profiling (DualRP) to simultan...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Daniela Aviles-Huerta, Rossella Del Pizzo, Alexander Kowar, Ali Hyder Baig, Giuliana Palazzo, Ekaterina Stepanova, Cinthia Claudia Amaya Ramirez, Sara D’Agostino, Edoardo Ratto, Catarina Pechincha, Nora Siefert, Helena Engel, Shangce Du, Silvia Cadenas-De Miguel, Beiping Miao, Victor M. Cruz-Vilchez, Karin Müller-Decker, Ilaria Elia, Chong Sun, Wilhelm Palm, Fabricio Loayza-Puch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59986-7
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849730902108667904
author Daniela Aviles-Huerta
Rossella Del Pizzo
Alexander Kowar
Ali Hyder Baig
Giuliana Palazzo
Ekaterina Stepanova
Cinthia Claudia Amaya Ramirez
Sara D’Agostino
Edoardo Ratto
Catarina Pechincha
Nora Siefert
Helena Engel
Shangce Du
Silvia Cadenas-De Miguel
Beiping Miao
Victor M. Cruz-Vilchez
Karin Müller-Decker
Ilaria Elia
Chong Sun
Wilhelm Palm
Fabricio Loayza-Puch
author_facet Daniela Aviles-Huerta
Rossella Del Pizzo
Alexander Kowar
Ali Hyder Baig
Giuliana Palazzo
Ekaterina Stepanova
Cinthia Claudia Amaya Ramirez
Sara D’Agostino
Edoardo Ratto
Catarina Pechincha
Nora Siefert
Helena Engel
Shangce Du
Silvia Cadenas-De Miguel
Beiping Miao
Victor M. Cruz-Vilchez
Karin Müller-Decker
Ilaria Elia
Chong Sun
Wilhelm Palm
Fabricio Loayza-Puch
author_sort Daniela Aviles-Huerta
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The tumor microenvironment (TME) influences cancer cell metabolism and survival. However, how immune and stromal cells respond to metabolic stress in vivo, and how nutrient limitations affect therapy, remains poorly understood. Here, we introduce Dual Ribosome Profiling (DualRP) to simultaneously monitor translation and ribosome stalling in multiple tumor cell populations. DualRP reveals that cancer-fibroblast interactions trigger an inflammatory program that reduces amino acid shortages during glucose starvation. In immunocompetent mice, we show that serine and glycine are essential for optimal T cell function and that their deficiency impairs T cell fitness. Importantly, immune checkpoint blockade therapy imposes amino acid restrictions specifically in T cells, demonstrating that therapies create distinct metabolic demands across TME cell types. By mapping codon-resolved ribosome stalling in a cell‑type‑specific manner, DualRP uncovers metabolic crosstalk that shapes translational programs. DualRP thus offers a powerful, innovative approach for dissecting tumor cell metabolic interplay and guiding combined metabolic-immunotherapeutic strategies.
format Article
id doaj-art-a93ba6bf486044c2840e307edb2811ad
institution DOAJ
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-a93ba6bf486044c2840e307edb2811ad2025-08-20T03:08:43ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-0116111410.1038/s41467-025-59986-7Dual Ribosome Profiling reveals metabolic limitations of cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironmentDaniela Aviles-Huerta0Rossella Del Pizzo1Alexander Kowar2Ali Hyder Baig3Giuliana Palazzo4Ekaterina Stepanova5Cinthia Claudia Amaya Ramirez6Sara D’Agostino7Edoardo Ratto8Catarina Pechincha9Nora Siefert10Helena Engel11Shangce Du12Silvia Cadenas-De Miguel13Beiping Miao14Victor M. Cruz-Vilchez15Karin Müller-Decker16Ilaria Elia17Chong Sun18Wilhelm Palm19Fabricio Loayza-Puch20Translational Control and Metabolism, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Translational Control and Metabolism, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Translational Control and Metabolism, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Translational Control and Metabolism, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Translational Control and Metabolism, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Translational Control and Metabolism, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Translational Control and Metabolism, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Translational Control and Metabolism, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Faculty of Biosciences, University of HeidelbergFaculty of Biosciences, University of HeidelbergFaculty of Biosciences, University of HeidelbergFaculty of Biosciences, University of HeidelbergImmune Regulation in Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU LeuvenImmune Regulation in Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Translational Control and Metabolism, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Core Facility Tumor Models, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU LeuvenImmune Regulation in Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Division of Cell Signaling and Metabolism, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Translational Control and Metabolism, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Abstract The tumor microenvironment (TME) influences cancer cell metabolism and survival. However, how immune and stromal cells respond to metabolic stress in vivo, and how nutrient limitations affect therapy, remains poorly understood. Here, we introduce Dual Ribosome Profiling (DualRP) to simultaneously monitor translation and ribosome stalling in multiple tumor cell populations. DualRP reveals that cancer-fibroblast interactions trigger an inflammatory program that reduces amino acid shortages during glucose starvation. In immunocompetent mice, we show that serine and glycine are essential for optimal T cell function and that their deficiency impairs T cell fitness. Importantly, immune checkpoint blockade therapy imposes amino acid restrictions specifically in T cells, demonstrating that therapies create distinct metabolic demands across TME cell types. By mapping codon-resolved ribosome stalling in a cell‑type‑specific manner, DualRP uncovers metabolic crosstalk that shapes translational programs. DualRP thus offers a powerful, innovative approach for dissecting tumor cell metabolic interplay and guiding combined metabolic-immunotherapeutic strategies.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59986-7
spellingShingle Daniela Aviles-Huerta
Rossella Del Pizzo
Alexander Kowar
Ali Hyder Baig
Giuliana Palazzo
Ekaterina Stepanova
Cinthia Claudia Amaya Ramirez
Sara D’Agostino
Edoardo Ratto
Catarina Pechincha
Nora Siefert
Helena Engel
Shangce Du
Silvia Cadenas-De Miguel
Beiping Miao
Victor M. Cruz-Vilchez
Karin Müller-Decker
Ilaria Elia
Chong Sun
Wilhelm Palm
Fabricio Loayza-Puch
Dual Ribosome Profiling reveals metabolic limitations of cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment
Nature Communications
title Dual Ribosome Profiling reveals metabolic limitations of cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment
title_full Dual Ribosome Profiling reveals metabolic limitations of cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment
title_fullStr Dual Ribosome Profiling reveals metabolic limitations of cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment
title_full_unstemmed Dual Ribosome Profiling reveals metabolic limitations of cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment
title_short Dual Ribosome Profiling reveals metabolic limitations of cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment
title_sort dual ribosome profiling reveals metabolic limitations of cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59986-7
work_keys_str_mv AT danielaavileshuerta dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT rosselladelpizzo dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT alexanderkowar dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT alihyderbaig dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT giulianapalazzo dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT ekaterinastepanova dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT cinthiaclaudiaamayaramirez dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT saradagostino dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT edoardoratto dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT catarinapechincha dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT norasiefert dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT helenaengel dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT shangcedu dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT silviacadenasdemiguel dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT beipingmiao dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT victormcruzvilchez dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT karinmullerdecker dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT ilariaelia dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT chongsun dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT wilhelmpalm dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment
AT fabricioloayzapuch dualribosomeprofilingrevealsmetaboliclimitationsofcancerandstromalcellsinthetumormicroenvironment