The lactylation axis: bridging metabolic reprogramming and immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment

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Protein lactylation, driven by lactate, links metabolic state to gene regulation in the tumor microenvironment.
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Lactylation promotes tumor malignancy by reshaping chromatin accessibility and enhancing oncogenic signaling pathways.
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Lactylation reprograms immune cells, driving macrophages to an M2-like phenotype and inducing dysfunction in CD8+ T cells.
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The tumor microenvironment's acidic conditions facilitate lactate accumulation, influencing both tumor progression and immune evasion.
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Targeting lactylation may offer therapeutic strategies to reverse immunosuppression and improve cancer treatment outcomes.

Frontiers In Immunology

by Xingxing Tao, Yingjie Liu, Peishan Yu, Wenjiang Wu, Yanli Fu, Ping Lan, Shengzhu Jin
June 19, 2026

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