Jonathan Powell

Jonathan Powell demonstrated that glutamine metabolism is essential for T cell activation and anti-tumor function through its role in anaplerosis, nucleotide synthesis, and redox balance, and that tumor-imposed glutamine restriction represents a major metabolic barrier to anti-tumor immunity. His work on mTOR as a metabolic rheostat showed that graded mTOR signaling programs distinct T cell metabolic states optimal for different phases of the anti-tumor immune response. He develops glutamine supplementation strategies and metabolic adjuvants that enhance anti-tumor T cell responses during cancer vaccination and immunotherapy.