Cellular Metabolism, the Immune System, and Oncogenesis: Opportunities for Drug Discovery and Development

The Warburg Effect epitomizes a fundamental metabolic shift where cells utilize glycolysis and lactic acid fermentation over oxidative metabolism for energy production, even under oxygen-rich conditions. Originally identified as a characteristic of cancer cells, it is now recognized that such metabolic reprogramming is pivotal not only for the survival of cancer cells but also for immune cells. This reprogramming extends to the metabolism of amino acids, lipids, and adenosine and is influenced by the dynamic interactions between cancer cells, immune cells, and stromal cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). This process, far from being random, is highly regulated and integral to both cancer progression and immune cell function. As our understanding of the molecular drivers of these metabolic changes advances, new possibilities emerge for therapeutic interventions aimed at these metabolic processes within the TME, potentially leading to the development of new drugs or the repurposing of existing ones to target novel cancer-related processes.

This Research Topic aims to delve into the intricate forms of metabolic reprogramming within the TME and cancer cells, underscoring the complexity of these processes and their consequential role in oncogenesis and cancer progression. By gaining deeper insights into these interactions, there is the potential to uncover novel treatment strategies that could significantly impact cancer therapy.

To gather further insights in these intricately linked processes, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Mechanistic insights into the metabolic alterations in cancer cells and the TME
• Metabolic tumor microenvironment elements that influence oncogenesis
• Differential metabolic profiles of the cancer cells or immune cells in the TME during oncogenesis
• Molecules that reverse or target the metabolic reprogramming of cells
• The interplay between metabolic dysregulation and immune response
• Therapeutic strategies targeting the TME.