Cytokine-mediated regulation of immune cell metabolic pathways in the tumor microenvironment

Cancer, an important global health problem, is defined by aberrant cell proliferation and continues to be the main cause of death globally. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an essential role in the development of cancer, resistance to therapy, and regulation of the immune response. Some immune cells in the TME, like T cells, B cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells, can either stop or help tumor growth, depending on how metabolic and cytokine changes happen. Cytokines function as essential signaling molecules that modulate immune cell metabolism, altering their functionality. This review focuses on how cytokine-mediated metabolic reprogramming affects the activity of immune cells inside the TME, which can either make the immune response stronger or weaker. New ways of treating cancer that focus on metabolic pathways and cytokine signaling, such as using IL (Interleukin) - 15, IL- 10, and IL- 4, show promise in boosting immune cell activity and making cancer treatments more effective. Finding these pathways could lead to new ways to treat cancer with immunotherapy that focus on metabolic competition and immune resistance in the TME.