Formation mechanism of tumor acidic microenvironment and its effects on tumor progression / 肿瘤

ABSTRACT

Tumor microenvironment plays an important role in the formation and development of tumors, and the acidity is one of the remarkable features of tumor microenvironment. Due to excessive proliferation of tumor cells and abnormal structure of tumor blood vessels, the tumor tissues are usually in a hypoxia state, leading to changes in the metabolic processes of tumor cells. Compared with the normal tissues which mainly rely on aerobic oxidation to obtain energy, the metabolism of tumor cells dominatingly depends on the anaerobic glycolysis. Therefore, the lactate acid produced by glycolysis and the carbon dioxide produced by respiration together result in the acidification of tumor microenvironment (TME), and affects many aspects of tumorigenesis and development. This review focuses on the formation mechanism of tumor acidic microenvironment and its impacts on tumor progression, including tumor immunity, invasion, autophagy and resistance to anti-cancer treatment.