The study of metabolism within the tumour microenvironment (TME) is a rapidly evolving field that holds significant implications for understanding cancer pathogenesis and developing novel therapeutic strategies. The TME is a complex and dynamic ecosystem composed of various cell types, including stromal, vascular, and immune cells, which interact with the tumour in a bi-directional manner. This interaction is crucial for tumour development and progression, as it is influenced by the availability and utilization of metabolites. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of metabolic pathways in the TME, revealing that dysfunctional metabolism can drive oncogenesis. Despite these advances, there remain significant gaps in our understanding of how specific metabolic alterations within the TME contribute to cancer progression and how these vulnerabilities can be exploited for therapeutic benefit. Current research is focused on identifying these metabolic dysfunctions and understanding their role in tumour development, with the aim of improving primary cancer treatments, including immunotherapy.
This research topic aims to explore the dysfunctional metabolism within the tumour microenvironment and its impact on oncogenesis. The primary objective is to uncover novel mechanistic insights into specific metabolic dysfunctions that occur across various solid tumour cancers. By focusing on the changes in metabolites derived from either the tumour or peripheral sources, this research seeks to understand how these alterations lead to adverse remodelling of the TME and drive cancer progression. The goal is to identify potential metabolic vulnerabilities that can be targeted to enhance the efficacy of existing cancer therapies.
To gather further insights into the complex interplay of metabolism within the tumour microenvironment, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Primary tumour cell-derived metabolites and their regulation of the TME composition.
- Cellular plasticity and phenotype changes in TME cells influenced by metabolic processes.
- Variations in metabolite profiles during stage-specific cancer progression.
- Strategies for metabolic reprogramming of the TME to improve therapeutic outcomes.
- Metabolic-based approaches to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy.
Manuscripts that rely solely on bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases, without robust validation, are considered out of scope for this topic.
Keywords: Cancer-associated fibroblast, immune cell, t cell, macrophage endothelial cell, stromal cell, tumour, oncology, metabolism, Kreb/TCA cycle, oxidative phosophorylation
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
