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Why tumours eat tryptophan

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Tumours increase their consumption of the amino acid tryptophan to evade immune control. But how does this work? A study shows that the main product of this consumption binds to a receptor involved in the immune system. See Article p.197

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Figure 1: The kynurenine pathway of cancer invasion and immune escape.

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  1. George C. Prendergast is in the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania 19096, USA.,

    George C. Prendergast

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  1. George C. Prendergast
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Correspondence to George C. Prendergast.

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Prendergast, G. Why tumours eat tryptophan. Nature 478, 192–194 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/478192a

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