Immunometabolism in the Tumor Microenvironment: Dual Role in Modulating Anti-Tumor Immunity and Tumor Progression

Understanding the tumor microenvironment (TME) requires a comprehensive exploration of the interactions between tumor cells and various stromal and immune cells, as these interactions significantly influence tumor growth and treatment response. Immunometabolism, which examines the relationship between immune cell metabolic processes and their behaviour, has become crucial in determining the effectiveness of anti-tumor immune responses. This review explores the intricate relationship between immunometabolism and TME, highlighting how metabolic changes in immune cells can either enhance or impair their capacity to fight cancer. It specifically investigates the metabolic reprogramming of T cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells within the TME and how these alterations affect their anti-tumor roles. The review also examines how tumors utilise metabolic pathways to establish an immunosuppressive environment that fosters tumor growth. Understanding these processes reveals potential therapeutic targets in immunometabolism to improve cancer treatment outcomes. By emphasising the dual role of immunometabolism in both aiding and inhibiting the immune response to cancer, this review underscores the necessity of integrating metabolic strategies into cancer immunotherapy research, which may lead to novel treatments that maximise the immune system's ability to combat cancer.