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Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Mapping Metabolism: Monitoring Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity Directly in Tissue
Published on: June 21, 2018
Lactate: A Metabolic Driver in the Tumour Landscape
Luigi Ippolito1, Andrea Morandi1, Elisa Giannoni1
1Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy.
Abstract:
The presence of lactate in human tumours has been long neglected, confined to the role of a waste product derived from glycolysis and as a biomarker of malignancy. More recently, lactate has been rediscovered as signalling molecule that plays important roles in the regulation of the metabolic pathways, the immune response, and cell-to-cell communication within the tumour microenvironment. This review examines recent discoveries about the functional role of lactate in shaping the behaviour and the phenotype of tumour and tumour-associated cells, and describes potential clinical approaches to target lactate transport and metabolism in tumours.
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