Targeting Lactate and Lactylation in Cancer Metabolism and Immunotherapy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cancer Metabolism
• Epigenetics

Background:

• Lactate is a key regulator of cancer metabolism, fueling proliferation via the Warburg effect.
• Elevated lactate shapes an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), promoting cancer progression and metastasis.
• Lactylation, a post-translational modification, reveals lactate's role as a signaling molecule linking metabolism and gene regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the multifaceted roles of lactate and lactylation in cancer biology.
• To explore how lactate influences cancer malignancy, including proliferation, metastasis, drug resistance, and immune evasion.
• To discuss the integration of lactate-driven lactylation in metabolic and epigenetic control.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of lactate's role in cancer metabolism and signaling.
• Analysis of the impact of lactate and lactylation on tumor microenvironment.
• Summary of emerging therapeutic strategies targeting lactate metabolism and lactylation.

Main Results:

• Lactate actively promotes cancer malignancy, including proliferation, metastasis, drug resistance, and immune evasion.
• Lactate-driven lactylation bridges metabolic reprogramming with epigenetic modifications.
• Targeting lactate metabolism and lactylation shows potential in enhancing cancer immunotherapy.

Conclusions:

• Lactate is a critical mediator of cancer progression and immune evasion.
• Lactylation represents a key mechanism coupling cancer metabolism with gene regulation.
• Therapeutic strategies targeting lactate and lactylation hold significant promise for clinical applications in cancer treatment.