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Beggars banquet: Metabolism in the tumor immune microenvironment and cancer therapy
Weiping Zou1, Douglas R Green2
1Departments of Surgery and Pathology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Center of Excellence for Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Graduate Programs in Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Abstract:
Metabolic programming in the tumor microenvironment (TME) alters tumor immunity and immunotherapeutic response in tumor-bearing mice and patients with cancer. Here, we review immune-related functions of core metabolic pathways, key metabolites, and crucial nutrient transporters in the TME, discuss their metabolic, signaling, and epigenetic impact on tumor immunity and immunotherapy, and explore how these insights can be applied to the development of more effective modalities to potentiate the function of T cells and sensitize tumor cell receptivity to immune attack, thereby overcoming therapeutic resistance.
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