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ResearchIn-Press PreviewImmunologyOncology Open Access | 10.1172/JCI196907

A fungal-derived cyclic peptide enhances Th9-mediated antitumor immunity by targeting ZAP70 and SREBP1

Wenli Zhao,1 Yang Zhou,1 Yuyang Chen,1 Yicheng Sun,1 Jiaxin Tang,2 Yihan Zhu,1 Jie Ren,1 Tianxu Du,2 Handuo Wang,1 Yuan Gao,1 Yu Hu,3 Ling Jiang,4 Tomohiko Ohwada,5 Qi Luo,5 and Enguang Bi1

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Zhao, W. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Zhou, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Chen, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Sun, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Tang, J. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Zhu, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Ren, J. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Du, T. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Wang, H. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Gao, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Hu, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Jiang, L. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Ohwada, T. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Luo, Q. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

2Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

3Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, State Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Injury Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Nephrology, Gu, Guangzhou, China

4Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

Find articles by Bi, E. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Published December 9, 2025 - More info

J Clin Invest. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI196907.
Copyright © 2025, Zhao et al. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Published December 9, 2025 - Version history
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Abstract

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) relies on durable and functional T cells to mediate tumor clearance. Th9 cells are a metabolically fit CD4+ T cell subset with strong persistence but limited cytotoxicity. Here, we identified endomelipeptide A (EpA), a cyclic peptide isolated from Ganoderma lucidum–associated endophytic fungi, as a potent enhancer of Th9 differentiation. EpA promoted a cytotoxic Th9 phenotype with enhanced mitochondrial function and metabolic fitness. Mechanistically, EpA dually targeted ZAP70 and SREBP1, coupling T cell receptor (TCR) signaling activation with lipid metabolism suppression. EpA-treated Th9 cells mediated robust, CD8+ T cell–dependent tumor control and enhanced the efficacy of human Th9 CAR-T therapy in vivo. These findings establish EpA as a distinct cyclic peptide that reprograms Th9 cells and provides a potential approach to boost ACT efficacy.

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