Reprogramming of lipid metabolism in the tumor microenvironment: a strategy for tumor immunotherapy

• Published in: Lipids in health and disease Vol. 23; no. 1; p. 35
• Main Authors: Wu, Yuting, Pu, Xi, Wang, Xu, Xu, Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 01-02-2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Analysis; Antibodies; Antilipemic agents; Apoptosis; Cancer; Cancer cells; Cancer therapies; Cell activation; Cell death; Cell growth; Chemotherapy; Cholesterol; Cytokines; Dosage and administration; Enzymes; Fatty acids; Fibroblasts; Glycerol; Health aspects; Hypoxia; Immunosuppression; Immunotherapy; Lipid metabolism; Lipids; Lipogenesis; Lymphocytes; Medical prognosis; Metabolism; Metabolites; Metastases; Metastasis; Mitochondria; Multiple sclerosis; Nutrient deficiency; Oxidation; Oxidative stress; Patient outcomes; Phosphorylation; Programmed cell death protein 1; Protein transport; Proteins; Radiation therapy; Review; Targeted therapy; Translocase; Tumor microenvironment; Tumors; China; Programmed cell death protein 1; Lipid metabolism; Tumor microenvironment; Targeted therapy; Immunotherapy
• ISSN: 1476-511X; 1476-511X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12944-024-02024-0

Lipid metabolism in cancer cells has garnered increasing attention in recent decades. Cancer cells thrive in hypoxic conditions, nutrient deficiency, and oxidative stress and cannot be separated from alterations in lipid metabolism. Therefore, cancer cells exhibit increased lipid metabolism, lipid uptake, lipogenesis and storage to adapt to a progressively challenging environment, which contribute to their rapid growth. Lipids aid cancer cell activation. Cancer cells absorb lipids with the help of transporter and translocase proteins to obtain energy. Abnormal levels of a series of lipid synthases contribute to the over-accumulation of lipids in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Lipid reprogramming plays an essential role in the TME. Lipids are closely linked to several immune cells and their phenotypic transformation. The reprogramming of tumor lipid metabolism further promotes immunosuppression, which leads to immune escape. This event significantly affects the progression, treatment, recurrence, and metastasis of cancer. Therefore, the present review describes alterations in the lipid metabolism of immune cells in the TME and examines the connection between lipid metabolism and immunotherapy.