Abstract 2636 Modulation of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling by Tryptophan Metabolites: Implications for Ovarian Cancer Immune Microenvironment

The amino acid L-tryptophan (Trp) is metabolized to create a variety of bioactive metabolites that are used by both microbes and mammalian cells as signaling molecules. Several enzymes including indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2), and kynurenine monooxygenase (KMO) are critical for tryptophan catabolism. We are particularly interested in how different tryptophan metabolites change the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling pathway that directly affects the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), especially in ovarian cancer.