Metabolic reprogramming and immune evasion: the interplay in the tumor microenvironment

• Published in: Biomarker research 2024-09, Vol.12 (1), p.96-25, Article 96
• Main Authors: Zhang, Haixia, Li, Shizhen, Wang, Dan, Liu, Siyang, Xiao, Tengfei, Gu, Wangning, Yang, Hongmin, Wang, Hui, Yang, Minghua, Chen, Pan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino acid sequence; Amino acids; Antigens; Apoptosis; B cells; Breast cancer; Cancer; Cancer immunotherapy; Cell differentiation; Cells; Chemokines; Colorectal cancer; Competition; Cytotoxicity; Development and progression; Dextrose; Effector cells; Enzymes; Genotype & phenotype; Glucose; Glucose metabolism; Hypoxia; Immune evasion; Immune response; Immune system; Immunogenicity; Immunoregulation; Immunotherapy; Kinases; Ligands; Lipid metabolism; Liver cancer; Lymphocytes T; Metabolic pathways; Metabolic reprogramming; Metabolism; Metabolites; Metastasis; Mutation; Physiological aspects; Proteins; Review; Suppressor cells; T cells; Tumor cells; Tumor microenvironment; Tumors
• ISSN: 2050-7771; 2050-7771
• DOI: 10.1186/s40364-024-00646-1

Tumor cells possess complex immune evasion mechanisms to evade immune system attacks, primarily through metabolic reprogramming, which significantly alters the tumor microenvironment (TME) to modulate immune cell functions. When a tumor is sufficiently immunogenic, it can activate cytotoxic T-cells to target and destroy it. However, tumors adapt by manipulating their metabolic pathways, particularly glucose, amino acid, and lipid metabolism, to create an immunosuppressive TME that promotes immune escape. These metabolic alterations impact the function and differentiation of non-tumor cells within the TME, such as inhibiting effector T-cell activity while expanding regulatory T-cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Additionally, these changes lead to an imbalance in cytokine and chemokine secretion, further enhancing the immunosuppressive landscape. Emerging research is increasingly focusing on the regulatory roles of non-tumor cells within the TME, evaluating how their reprogrammed glucose, amino acid, and lipid metabolism influence their functional changes and ultimately aid in tumor immune evasion. Despite our incomplete understanding of the intricate metabolic interactions between tumor and non-tumor cells, the connection between these elements presents significant challenges for cancer immunotherapy. This review highlights the impact of altered glucose, amino acid, and lipid metabolism in the TME on the metabolism and function of non-tumor cells, providing new insights that could facilitate the development of novel cancer immunotherapies.