Metabolic reprogramming and immunological changes in the microenvironment of esophageal cancer: future directions and prospects

作者：Zhixun Guo, Jiali Ma, Jinqiu Zhang, Lingling Yan, Ying Zhou, Xinli Mao, Shao-Wei Li, Xian-Bin Zhou · 发表于：Frontiers in Immunology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fimmu.2025.1524801 · 被引用次数：13 · 研究领域：Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism、Immune cells in cancer、Cancer, Lipids, and Metabolism

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is the seventh-most prevalent cancer worldwide and is a significant contributor to cancer-related mortality. Metabolic reprogramming in tumors frequently coincides with aberrant immune function alterations, and extensive research has demonstrated that perturbations in energy metabolism within the tumor microenvironment influence the occurrence and progression of esophageal cancer. Current treatment modalities for esophageal cancer primarily include encompass chemotherapy and a limited array of targeted therapies, which are hampered by toxicity and drug resistance issues. Immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, has exhibited promising results; however, a substantial proportion of patients remain unresponsive. The optimization of these immunotherapies requires further investigation. Mounting evidence underscores the importance of modulating metabolic traits within the tumor microenvironment (TME) to augment anti-tumor immunotherapy. Methods: We selected relevant studies on the metabolism of the esophageal cancer tumor microenvironment and immune cells based on our searches of MEDLINE and PubMed, focusing on screening experimental articles and reviews related to glucose metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism, as well their interactions with tumor cells and immune cells, published within the last five years. We analyzed and discussed these studies, while also expressing o...