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‹ Mon · 18 May 2026
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Cancer and Immune Cells: A Metabolic Battle in the Tumor Microenvironment.

Understanding how tumors starve immune cells of fuel suggests combining drugs that restore immune cell energy with existing cancer immunotherapies.

A review chapter synthesizing the metabolic competition between cancer cells and immune effectors in the tumor microenvironment, identifying CAR-T and checkpoint inhibitor efficacy limitations driven by TME-induced metabolic suppression. The chapter proposes a therapeutic framework integrating metabolic intervention (e.g., targeting lactate, oxidative phosphorylation) with immunotherapy.

What the study was

Study design
Narrative review (book chapter)
Category
Treatment Innovation
Maturity
Exploratory
Journal
Cancer Treatment and Research

Why it surfaced

Useful background on immunometabolism in TME but book chapter review with no new primary data; limited triage utility.

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