Metabolic Interplay between Tumour Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) under Hypoxia versus Normoxia

ABSTRACT

The growth of tumour cells is closely related to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)present within their microenvironment. CAFs, the most abundant cells in tumour stroma, secretegrowth factors that play pivotal roles in tumour cell proliferation, metabolism, angiogenesis andmetastasis. Tumour cells adapt to rapid environmental changes from normoxia to hypoxia throughmetabolic interplay with CAFs. In this mini review, we discuss the role of lactate dehydrogenases(LDHs) and monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) on the metabolic interplay between tumourcells and CAFs under hypoxia compared to normoxia. The LDHs catalyse the interchange oflactate and pyruvate, whereas MCTs facilitate the influx and efflux of monocarboxylates, especiallylactate and pyruvate. To sum up, tumour cells switch their metabolic state between glycolysis andoxidative phosphorylation through metabolic interplay with CAFs, which exhibit the Warburgeffect under hypoxia and reverse Warburg effect under normoxia.