Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38989406›Full record

ReviewJournal of gastrointestinal oncology2024

Lactic acid: a narrative review of a promoter of the liver cancer microenvironment.

Junhe Chen, Guifang He, Duo Cai, Elisa Giovannetti, Kentaro Inamura, Shihai Liu, Wenzhe Ma

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of gastrointestinal oncology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. From gut to proteomics: the impact ofFrontiers in oncology · 2025
    Article
  9. Review
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

7 authors.

Junhe ChenState Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China.
Guifang HeMedical Research Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Duo CaiMedical Research Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Elisa GiovannettiDepartment of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Kentaro InamuraDepartment of Pathology, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.
Shihai LiuMedical Research Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Wenzhe MaState Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Objective: Lactic acid is a metabolite of glycolysis produced in the body, and its production is thought to be a mechanism by which cancer cells evade immune surveillance. Immune evasion and metabolic changes are well established as basic hallmarks of cancer. Although lactate has long been considered a waste product, it is now generally recognized to be a versatile small-molecule chemical that plays an important part in the tumor microenvironment (TME), with increased lactate production linked to the development of human malignancies. Metabolism in liver cancer is redirected toward glycolysis, which enhances the production of metabolic compounds used by tumor cells to produce proteins, lipids, and nucleotides, enabling them to maintain high proliferation rates and to establish the TME. Dysregulation of metabolic activity in liver cancer may impair antitumor responses owing to the immunosuppressive activity of the lactate produced by anaerobic glycolytic rates in tumor cells. This review primarily explores the link connection between lactic acid and the TME; evaluates the role of lactic acid in the occurrence, metastasis, prognosis, and treatment of liver cancer. Additionally, it investigates the associated pathways as potential targets for liver cancer treatment. Methods: Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, with the publication date of the most recent article included being January 2024. After eliminating duplicate articles and less relevant articles through titles and abstracts, we selected 113 articles for this review. We categorized references into two categories. One is to classify the content into lactate-related, liver cancer-related and tumor metabolism-related. The other is to classify the article types, which are divided into reviews, research articles and clinical trials. Additionally, we consulted the reference lists of the relevant articles to ensure coverage was comprehensive and unbiased. Key Content and Findings: The connection between lactic acid and the TME has recently become an area of intense research interest, and many related articles have been published in this field. The main finding of this review is to summarize the proven link between lactate and the TME and its possible impact on the TME of liver cancer. And analyzed the potential of lactate in liver cancer treatment and prognosis prediction. Conclusions: Lactate may be key to developing novel approaches in the future treatment of liver cancer. Related research on the combination of classic therapies and molecular targeted drugs may provide innovative medicines that more selectively regulate immune cell activity.

Indexed as

cancer metabolismimmune cellsLactic acidliver cancertumor microenvironment (TME)

Identifiers

PMID38989406
PMCPMC11231854

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.