Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Aug 29:16:1655306.
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1655306. eCollection 2025.

Exploring the effects of exercise on T cell function and metabolism in cancer: a scoping review protocol

J L Low #  1   2 , H J Lee #  1   2 , B A Edgett  2 , K Romme  3 , S N Culos-Reed #  2   4   5 , J B Lee #  1   6   7
Affiliations

Exploring the effects of exercise on T cell function and metabolism in cancer: a scoping review protocol

J L Low et al. Front Physiol. .

Abstract

Background: The global burden of cancer is escalating, and improved strategies for disease prevention and treatment are needed. The immune system, particularly T cells, plays a crucial role in cancer surveillance and eradication. Immunotherapy strategies that leverage the anti-cancer T cell response have significantly advanced therapeutic approaches to cancer treatment. Exercise is a lifestyle factor that naturally stimulates and strengthens the immune system. This interaction may not only be linked to the benefits of exercise in decreasing cancer risk and increasing survival but may also have the potential to be harnessed to enhance current forms of immunotherapy. Central to the exercise-immune system axis and anti-cancer control are T cells, yet little is known about how exercise might influence their function and metabolic fitness.

Objective: We propose a scoping review with the aim to understand and summarize the current literature on the effects of exercise on T cell function and metabolism in cancer, identifying potential key mechanisms, impacts on therapeutic applications, exercise modalities, and associated outcomes.

Methods: This scoping review will be conducted according to the methodology for scoping reviews laid out by JBI. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) will be followed. Experimental studies involving i) humans OR mammals and ii) examinations of T cell function and metabolism, and iii) exercise interventions, and iv) in the context of cancer will be included.

Results: Data search, screening and extraction will take place from June 2025-December 2025. Preliminary searches conducted while developing the initial search strategy resulted in an estimated ∼700-1000 titles and abstracts for initial screening.

Conclusion/implications/dissemination: The proposed scoping review will be submitted for publication upon completion. The potential findings hold profound implications for future research in this field, providing mechanistic insights into the exercise-immune system axis that can be leveraged to enhance immune-based approaches for cancer prevention, treatment, and long-term survivorship.

Keywords: cancer; exercise; immune cells; immunotherapy; t cells.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Visual representation of the proposed scoping review aim. Created in BioRender. Lee, J. (2025) https://BioRender.com/bn3b3x6.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Sample template for resultant reporting on screening and exclusions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alizadeh D., Wong R. A., Yang X., Wang D., Pecoraro J. R., Kuo C. F., et al. (2019). IL15 enhances CAR-T cell antitumor activity by reducing mTORC1 activity and preserving their stem cell memory phenotype. Cancer Immunol. Res. 7, 759–772. 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-18-0466 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Arksey H., O’Malley L. (2005). Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. Int. J. Soc. Res. Methodol. Theory Pract. 8, 19–32. 10.1080/1364557032000119616 - DOI
    1. Aromataris E., Lockwood C., Porritt K., Pilla B., Jordan Z. (2024). JBI manual for evidence synthesis. JBI.
    1. Ashcraft K. A., Warner A. B., Jones L. W., Dewhirst M. W. (2019). Exercise as adjunct therapy in cancer. Semin. Radiat. Oncol. 29, 16–24. 10.1016/j.semradonc.2018.10.001 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bear A. S., Vonderheide R. H., O’Hara M. H. (2020). Challenges and opportunities for pancreatic cancer immunotherapy. Cancer Cell 38, 788–802. 10.1016/j.ccell.2020.08.004 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources