Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Jan 11.
Published in final edited form as: Cancer Cell. 2020 Oct 29;39(1):28–37. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2020.09.004

Figure 1: Factors influencing metabolism in the TME.

Figure 1:

Metabolic conditions in the TME are influenced by many factors. From the perspective of the tumor, mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes can promote cell-intrinsic changes in metabolic reprogramming depending on the cancer type (“Origin”). Whole body metabolism dictates available nutrients in circulation (“Nutrient Availability”), while local nutrient availability in the TME is influenced by tumor vascularization and tissue nutrient uptake. Due in part to the high proliferation of cancer cells, nutrient and oxygen gradients can form which shape the metabolic activities of cells differently across the tumor. Nutrient utilization and signaling by many cell types present (immune, stromal, epithelial, cancer) in the TME can also modulate the metabolic conditions within the growing tumor (“Tumor-Immune Crosstalk”).