Immune changes linked to diabetes could guide development of new cancer treatments

by American Association of Immunologists

edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan

Sadie Harley

Scientific Editor

Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process

Robert Egan

Senior Editor

Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process Editors' notes

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

peer-reviewed publication

trusted source

proofread

The GIST Add to Preferred Sources

New research in The Journal of Immunology uncovers how high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and type 1 diabetes (T1D) may protect against certain cancers like melanoma, breast and colon cancer. T1D has been associated with a decreased risk of certain cancers, but the exact reasons why have remained a mystery. New data from studies in mice now show that it could be due to changes in immune cells, called T cells, caused by hyperglycemia.

To untangle why patients with T1D have a decreased risk of certain cancers, the researchers first observed that tumor growth in mice with hyperglycemia, like in untreated T1D, was reduced when compared to diabetic mice receiving insulin and mice with normal blood sugar levels.

High blood sugar reshapes T cells

When the researchers investigated what caused the tumors to grow more slowly in hyperglycemic mice, they found that hyperglycemia was reprogramming T cells to better control tumor growth.

The hyperglycemic mice not only had a greater number of T cells, but those T cells were found to be more effective at fighting tumors. The researchers say this is likely because hyperglycemia causes the body to maintain more inflammatory immune cells, which contributes to their cancer-fighting ability. When T1D mice received insulin to control their blood sugar, the T cells lost their heightened cancer-fighting abilities.

A signaling pathway strengthens tumor control

To better understand the specific changes in the T cells from hyperglycemic mice, the researchers compared T cells from hyperglycemic mice, diabetic mice receiving insulin and mice with normal blood sugar levels to identify the changes that caused the heightened cancer-fighting ability.

The researchers found that T cells from hyperglycemic mice had an increase in their use of a particular cellular signaling pathway, which contributed to the T cells' increased cancer-fighting ability. Identifying this signaling pathway as an important factor that enhances the tumor-fighting abilities of T cells is key to developing new cancer treatments that could mimic this enhancement.

Human immune cells show similar changes

After observing the differences in mice, the researchers also looked for similar changes in people and found that the same signaling pathway was also increased in immune cells from blood taken from people with hyperglycemia.

"Our findings open several research avenues for new cancer immunotherapies by applying the changes we see in T cells of patients with type 1 diabetes and mimicking those cell changes in new treatments for all patients," said Dr. Anamika Bose, assistant professor at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research in India and senior author of the study.

"These findings are exciting because we now partly understand how T1D protects against certain cancers. Our new understanding of the involvement of this specific signaling pathway provides us with new ways to develop T cell-based immunotherapies for cancer patients," said Bose.

Publication details

Experimental high blood glucose metabolically rejuvenates CD8⁺T cells for improved control of tumor growth through an IGF1-IGF1R axis, The Journal of Immunology (2026). DOI: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag262

Journal information: Journal of Immunology

Key medical concepts

HyperglycemiaT-LymphocytesDiabetes Type 1tumor growth

Clinical categories

OncologyAllergy and immunologyEndocrinology Provided by American Association of Immunologists Who's behind this story?

Sadie Harley

BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries. Full profile →

Robert Egan

Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →

Citation: Immune changes linked to diabetes could guide development of new cancer treatments (2026, October 29) retrieved 29 October 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-immune-linked-diabetes-cancer-treatments.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.