Rate My Professor Ilaria Elia

Elia's research investigates metabolic cross-talk between cancer cells and immune cells, particularly CD8+ T cells, within tumor microenvironments to enhance immunotherapy outcomes. Her laboratory examines how nutrient niches drive metabolic reprogramming, T cell exhaustion, and anti-tumor immunity in metastatic contexts like melanoma lung and liver metastases. Notable publications include 'Breast cancer cells rely on environmental pyruvate to shape the metastatic niche' (Nature, 2019), 'Proline metabolism supports metastasis formation and could be inhibited to selectively target metastasizing cancer cells' (Nature Communications, 2017), 'Tumor cells dictate anti-tumor immune responses by altering pyruvate utilization and succinate signaling in CD8+ T cells' (Cell Metabolism, 2022), 'Formate supplementation enhances anti-tumor CD8+ T cell fitness and efficacy of PD-1 blockade' (Cancer Discovery, 2023), and 'The metabolic cross-talk between cancer and T cells' (Trends in Biochemical Sciences, 2023). She has received the ERC Starting Grant for the SpaceMet project on spatial heterogeneity of tumor and CD8+ T cell metabolism in liver metastasis (2025), Beug Foundation Metastasis Prize (2023), FEBS Excellence Award (2022), and other honors including Keystone Symposia and Academische Stichting Leuven travel grants. Elia contributes to programme committees and networks at KU Leuven.