Fig. 1
From: The emerging role of glycolysis and immune evasion in gastric cancer
Regulation of the progress of lactate metabolism in cancer cells. Cancer cells, under hypoxic conditions, primarily derive energy through glycolysis while producing excessive lactate, which is exported to the TME through MCT4. The accumulation of lactate allows cancer cells to maintain an acidic microenvironment, shielding them from the effect of therapeutic agents. Additionally, cancer cells near blood vessels are normoxic and can oxidize lactate for ATP synthesis via MCT1. This lactate metabolic symbiosis occurs not only in cancer cells but also in other cells(e.g. immune cells)