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Nutritional Exchanges Within Tumor Microenvironment: Impact for Cancer Aggressiveness
Giuseppina Comito1, Luigi Ippolito1, Paola Chiarugi1,2
1Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Frontiers in Oncology
|April 9, 2020
Summary
Tumor cells reprogram stromal cells to share nutrients, driving cancer growth and metastasis. This metabolic symbiosis within the tumor microenvironment is crucial for malignancy progression.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cancer Biology
- Metabolism
Background:
- Neoplastic tissues comprise tumor and stromal cells (fibroblasts, endothelial, immune cells).
- Tumor cells influence stromal cells via paracrine factors and exosomes, promoting cancer progression.
- Metabolic deregulation is integral to tumor progression and the tumor microenvironment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review metabolic remodeling within the tumor microenvironment.
- To explore reciprocal metabolic re-education between tumor and stromal cells.
- To describe the impact of metabolic sharing on tumor growth and metastasis.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of metabolic interactions in the tumor microenvironment.
- Analysis of metabolite sharing between cancer and stromal cells.
- Examination of the role of nutrients and transcriptional regulators in tumor progression.
Main Results:
- Tumor cells reprogram stromal cells to act as nutrient donors.
- Metabolic reprogramming supports cancer cell proliferation and spread.
- Altered nutrient composition and flow in the tumor microenvironment correlate with malignancy.
Conclusions:
- Metabolic remodeling and metabolite sharing are critical for tumor growth and metastasis.
- Stromal cells are educated by tumor cells to support cancer progression.
- Understanding these metabolic interactions offers therapeutic targets for cancer treatment.
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