Metabolism of glucose, lipids, amino acids, and nucleotides represents the fundamental capability of host to utilize distinct nutrients and energy to support diverse function of different cell lineages. Cancer cells undergo Warburg Effect to adapt to the microenvironment composed by stromal cells and immune cells. The crosstalk among cancer cells and immune cells orchestrate tumor progression. In the tumor microenvironment, immune cells also show metabolic reprogramming. For example, naive or memory T cells switch from the oxidation of fatty acids to glycolysis and glutaminolysis after activation; meanwhile massive glucose and glutamine are transported into cells to meet their metabolic demands. And these pathways that control metabolism and immune cell function are intimately linked. Defective glucose or glutamine metabolism impairs the differentiation and expansion of helper T cells.
The molecular pathways that control immune cell metabolism and function are intimately linked. Understanding such metabolic reprogramming of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment could offer new directions in manipulation of peripheral immune responses. Recent findings in immune cell metabolism hold the promising possibilities by metabolic manipulation of immune cells towards clinical therapeutics for treating cancer. This topic will include updated findings and views in the metabolism of cancer cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.
Metabolism of glucose, lipids, amino acids, and nucleotides represents the fundamental capability of host to utilize distinct nutrients and energy to support diverse function of different cell lineages. Cancer cells undergo Warburg Effect to adapt to the microenvironment composed by stromal cells and immune cells. The crosstalk among cancer cells and immune cells orchestrate tumor progression. In the tumor microenvironment, immune cells also show metabolic reprogramming. For example, naive or memory T cells switch from the oxidation of fatty acids to glycolysis and glutaminolysis after activation; meanwhile massive glucose and glutamine are transported into cells to meet their metabolic demands. And these pathways that control metabolism and immune cell function are intimately linked. Defective glucose or glutamine metabolism impairs the differentiation and expansion of helper T cells.
The molecular pathways that control immune cell metabolism and function are intimately linked. Understanding such metabolic reprogramming of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment could offer new directions in manipulation of peripheral immune responses. Recent findings in immune cell metabolism hold the promising possibilities by metabolic manipulation of immune cells towards clinical therapeutics for treating cancer. This topic will include updated findings and views in the metabolism of cancer cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.