The promise and peril of targeting cell metabolism for cancer therapy

A major challenge of cancer immunotherapy is the potential for undesirable effects on bystander cells and tumor-associated immune cells. Fundamentally, we need to understand what effect targeting tumor metabolism has upon the metabolism and phenotype of tumor-associated leukocytes, whose function can be critical for effective cancer therapeutic strategies. Undesirable effects of cancer therapeutics are a major reason for drug-associated toxicity, which confounds drug dosing and efficacy. As with any chemotherapeutic agent, drugs targeting tumor metabolism will exert potent effects on host stromal cells and tumor-associated leukocytes. Any drug targeting glycolysis, for example, could metabolically starve tumor-infiltrating T cells, inhibit their effector function and enable tumor progression. The targeting of oxidative phosphorylation in tumors will have complex effects on the polarization and function of tumor-associated macrophages. In short, we need to improve our understanding of tumor and immune cell metabolism and devise ways to specifically target tumors without compromising necessary host metabolism. Exploiting cell-specific metabolic pathways to directly target tumor cells may minimize detrimental effects on tumor-associated leukocytes.