Metabolic flexibility in the tumor microenvironment

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This concept art piece was developed for a paper published in Cell Metabolism by Poznanski SM et al. (2021), which describes how metabolic flexibility determines human natural killer (NK) cell functional fate in the tumour microenvironment. Fit and flexible NK cells can utilize any nutrient, allowing them to perform more efficiently in low-nutrient environments. In comparison, less fit (rigid) NK cells can only use glucose, and in turn, are under stress when up against a tumor.

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Client: Dr. Ali A. Ashkar and Sophie M. Poznanski (PhD Candidate), McMaster University (Hamilton, ON)

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Artwork © Christy Groves, 2021.