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Updated: Jan 25, 2026
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Enrichment and Characterization of the Tumor Immune and Non-immune Microenvironments in Established Subcutaneous Murine Tumors
Published on: June 7, 2018
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Acidosis and proteolysis in the tumor microenvironment
Kyungmin Ji1, Linda Mayernik1, Kamiar Moin1
1Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
Cancer Metastasis Reviews
|May 10, 2019
Summary
The Warburg effect causes tumor microenvironment acidification, potentially increasing cancer cell invasion. This review explores how acidity impacts cancer cell proteolysis and metastasis, using osteoclast resorptive pits as a model.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The Warburg effect, a hallmark of cancer, leads to tumor microenvironment acidification.
- Acidic tumor microenvironments are linked to increased cancer cell invasiveness and degradation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review how tumor microenvironment acidification influences cancer cell invasive and degradative phenotypes.
- To explore potential regulatory links between acidosis and tumor proteolysis.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on cancer cell responses to acidic microenvironments.
- Comparison with osteoclast resorptive pits as a model for extracellular acidic microenvironments linked to proteolysis.
- Examination of intracellular vesicle trafficking (lysosomes, exosomes) and membrane structures (invadopodia, caveolae) in cancer cells.
Main Results:
- Acidification of the tumor microenvironment may promote cancer cell invasion and metastasis.
- Similarities exist between cancer cell changes in acidic environments and osteoclast resorptive pits.
- Changes in vesicle trafficking and membrane structures are observed in cancer cells within acidic microenvironments.
Conclusions:
- Tumor microenvironment acidification is a potential driver of cancer cell invasiveness and proteolysis.
- Further research is needed to verify the direct regulation of tumor proteolysis by acidosis.
- Understanding these mechanisms could offer new therapeutic targets for cancer metastasis.
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