Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37564659›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in immunology2023

Unveiling the veil of lactate in tumor-associated macrophages: a successful strategy for immunometabolic therapy.

Hongxia Tao, Xuansheng Zhong, Anqi Zeng, Linjiang Song

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in immunology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
43citing papers in PubMed
8.5field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

43 citing papers in PubMed, 52 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Targeting Lactate and Lactylation in Cancer Metabolism and Immunotherapy.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
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  16. Immunotherapy in central nervous system tumors.International journal of surgery (London, England) · 2025
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  18. Integrating Metabolic Modulation and Nanomedicine for Cancer Immunotherapy.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Hongxia TaoSchool of Medical and Life Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Xuansheng ZhongClinical Medicine Department, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China.
Anqi ZengInstitute of Translational Pharmacology and Clinical Application, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Linjiang SongSchool of Medical and Life Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CNBengbu Medical College · CNSichuan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Lactate, traditionally regarded as a metabolic waste product at the terminal of the glycolysis process, has recently been found to have multifaceted functional roles in metabolism and beyond. A metabolic reprogramming phenomenon commonly seen in tumor cells, known as the "Warburg effect," sees high levels of aerobic glycolysis result in an excessive production of lactate. This lactate serves as a substrate that sustains not only the survival of cancer cells but also immune cells. However, it also inhibits the function of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), a group of innate immune cells ubiquitously present in solid tumors, thereby facilitating the immune evasion of malignant tumor cells. Characterized by their high plasticity, TAMs are generally divided into the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype and the pro-tumour M2 phenotype. Through a process of 'education' by lactate, TAMs tend to adopt an immunosuppressive phenotype and collaborate with tumor cells to promote angiogenesis. Additionally, there is growing evidence linking metabolic reprogramming with epigenetic modifications, suggesting the participation of histone modification in diverse cellular events within the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this review, we delve into recent discoveries concerning lactate metabolism in tumors, with a particular focus on the impact of lactate on the function of TAMs. We aim to consolidate the molecular mechanisms underlying lactate-induced TAM polarization and angiogenesis and explore the lactate-mediated crosstalk between TAMs and tumor cells. Finally, we also touch upon the latest progress in immunometabolic therapies and drug delivery strategies targeting glycolysis and lactate production, offering new perspectives for future therapeutic approaches.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsTumor-Associated MacrophagesGlycolysisHumansLactic AcidMacrophagesTumor MicroenvironmentLactic Acidimmune escapeimmunometabolismlactateTAMstargeted drug delivery

Identifiers

PMID37564659
PMCPMC10411982
OpenAlexW4385276922

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.