Monocarboxylate transporter 11 (MCT11)

Monocarboxylate transporter 11 (MCT11), encoded by the SLC16A11 gene, is a membrane transporter belonging to the solute carrier family 16 and the major facilitator superfamily, characterized as a proton-coupled transporter of small monocarboxylic acids such as pyruvate and lactate. MCT11 is primarily located at the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum, showing highest physiological relevance in hepatocytes and specific immune cell subsets, particularly exhausted CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Genetic variants of SLC16A11 are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, particularly in some populations. Recent data identify MCT11 as an immunometabolic regulator that, when upregulated in exhausted T cells, facilitates lactic acid uptake from the tumor microenvironment, thereby enforcing T cell dysfunction. Experimental blockade of MCT11 in T cells can restore effector function and enhance responses to checkpoint blockade in cancer models, making it an emerging therapeutic target for cancer immunotherapy. There are no approved drugs targeting MCT11, but rationally designed inhibitors and therapeutic antibodies are under development for research purposes.

Other names

Solute carrier family 16 member 11SLC16A11Monocarboxylic acid transporter 11MCT 11FLJ90193

Inhibition of proton-coupled monocarboxylate (lactate/pyruvate) transport; Antibody-mediated blockade to reduce lactate uptake in T cells (preclinical models)