Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 17, 2026
12:19
Monitoring the Cancer-Immunity Cycle and Exploring Tumor Microenvironment Dynamics
Published on: June 7, 2024
2.1K
Convergence of Cancer Metabolism and Immunity: an Overview
Chi Van Dang1,2, Jung-Whan Kim3
1Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY 10017, USA.
Biomolecules & Therapeutics
|December 8, 2017
Summary
Cancer cells reprogram metabolism for growth and division, utilizing glycolysis over oxidative processes. Tumor microenvironments, rich in metabolites, also impact immune evasion, highlighting the interplay between cancer cell metabolism and immunity.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Otto Warburg's discovery of cancer cell glucose metabolism (Pasteur effect) laid the foundation for cancer metabolism research.
- Recent advances reveal cancer cell metabolism supports proliferation, nutrient import, redox balance, and biosynthesis.
- Oncogenes like MYC and KRAS drive metabolic rewiring for cancer cell growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the intricate metabolic alterations in cancer cells.
- To understand how cancer cell metabolism interacts with the tumor microenvironment and immune system.
- To provide a comprehensive view of tumorigenesis integrating intrinsic and extrinsic metabolic factors.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on cancer metabolism.
- Analysis of oncogene-driven metabolic reprogramming.
- Investigation of the tumor microenvironment's metabolic influence on immune cells.
Main Results:
- Cancer cells exhibit altered metabolism, favoring glycolysis for proliferation and biosynthesis.
- Specific oncogenes (MYC, BRAF, KRAS, PI3K) are key regulators of this metabolic shift.
- The tumor microenvironment, with metabolites like lactate and low pH, suppresses anti-tumor immunity.
Conclusions:
- Cancer cell metabolism is crucial for proliferation and survival.
- Tumorigenesis is a complex process influenced by both cancer cell-intrinsic metabolism and the tumor microenvironment.
- Understanding this interplay is essential for developing effective cancer therapies.
Related Concept Videos
02:53Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
7.2K
Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
7.2K
01:27Tumor Immunotherapy
2.0K
Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
2.0K
02:50Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
6.2K
Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
6.2K
01:19Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer
514
Chronic stress has been linked to both the onset and progression of serious health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes and cancer. Type 2 diabetes, a widespread chronic illness, is closely associated with obesity and insulin resistance, both of which often worsen under stress. Studies indicate that men experiencing high levels of chronic stress face a 45% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to those with minimal stress. Stress triggers physiological responses that elevate blood...
514
02:17The Tumor Microenvironment
7.9K
Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
7.9K
02:30Metastasis
6.7K
Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
6.7K