Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23264892›Full record

ArticleOncoimmunology2012

IDO inhibits a tryptophan sufficiency signal that stimulates mTOR: A novel IDO effector pathway targeted by D-1-methyl-tryptophan.

Richard Metz, Sonja Rust, James B Duhadaway, Mario R Mautino, David H Munn, Nicholas N Vahanian, Charles J Link, George C Prendergast

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Oncoimmunology, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 225 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
225citing papers in PubMed
5.0field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

225 citing papers in PubMed, 371 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
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  5. Therapeutic remodeling of the tuberculosis granuloma with 1-methyl-D-tryptophan enhances CD8Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
  6. Review
  7. HCellular & molecular biology letters · 2026
    Article
  8. Article
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  12. Why are long-lived plasma cells long-lived?Frontiers in immunology · 2026
    Review
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  15. Article
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  20. Article

165 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Richard MetzNew Link Genetics Corporation; Ames, IA USA.
Sonja Rust
James B Duhadaway
Mario R Mautino
David H Munn
Nicholas N Vahanian
Charles J Link
George C Prendergast
NewLink Genetics (United States) · USAmes National Laboratory · USAugusta University Health · USLankenau Institute for Medical Research · USSidney Kimmel Cancer Center · US

Funding

Role of IDO malignancyR01CA096651 · NCI · MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA (MCG) · PI MUNN, DAVID H. · 2003 to 2016
$3.3M
IDO Inhibitors for Combinatorial Cancer TherapyR01CA109542 · NCI · LANKENAU INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH · PI PRENDERGAST, GEORGE C · 2005 to 2015
$2.0M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA096651NCI NIH HHS R01 CA109542
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Tryptophan catabolism by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) alters inflammation and favors T-cell tolerance in cancer, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. The integrated stress response kinase GCN2, a sensor of uncharged tRNA that is activated by amino acid deprivation, is recognized as an important effector of the IDO pathway. However, in a mouse model of inflammatory carcinogenesis, ablation of Gcn2 did not promote resistance against tumor development like the absence of IDO does, implying the existence of additional cancer-relevant pathways that operate downstream of IDO. Addressing this gap in knowledge, we report that the IDO-mediated catabolism of tryptophan also inhibits the immunoregulatory kinases mTOR and PKC-Θ, along with the induction of autophagy. These effects were relieved specifically by tryptophan but also by the experimental agent 1-methyl-D-tryptophan (D-1MT, also known as NLG8189), the latter of which reversed the inhibitory signals generated by IDO with higher potency. Taken together, our results implicate mTOR and PKC-Θ in IDO-mediated immunosuppressive signaling, and they provide timely insights into the unique mechanism of action of D-1MT as compared with traditional biochemical inhibitors of IDO. These findings are important translationally, because they suggest broader clinical uses for D-1MT against cancers that overexpress any tryptophan catabolic enzyme (IDO, IDO2 or TDO). Moreover, they define mTOR and PKC-Θ as candidate pharmacodynamic markers for D-1MT responses in patients recruited to ongoing phase IB/II cancer trials, addressing a current clinical need.

Identifiers

PMID23264892
PMCPMC3525601
OpenAlexW2007489575

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.