Context Matters: Divergent Roles of Exercise-Induced and Tumor-Derived Lactate in Cancer
Instead of being waste product of metabolism, lactate, has become a key metabolic and signaling molecule in both exercise physiology and tumor biology. Carcinogenic cells produce huge amounts of lactate through the Warburg effect, which is a hallmark of aggressive tumors, increasing acidity in the e...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Biomolecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/7/1010 |
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| author | Amir hossein Ahmadi Hekmatikar Ghazal Zolfaghari Aref Basereh D. Maryama Awang Daud Kayvan Khoramipour |
| author_facet | Amir hossein Ahmadi Hekmatikar Ghazal Zolfaghari Aref Basereh D. Maryama Awang Daud Kayvan Khoramipour |
| author_sort | Amir hossein Ahmadi Hekmatikar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Instead of being waste product of metabolism, lactate, has become a key metabolic and signaling molecule in both exercise physiology and tumor biology. Carcinogenic cells produce huge amounts of lactate through the Warburg effect, which is a hallmark of aggressive tumors, increasing acidity in the environment that can stimulates angiogenesis, immune evasion, and metastasis. Conversely, while exercise acutely elevates blood lactate concentration but it consider helpful for cancer patients. This paradox raises the following question: is exercise-induced lactate a friend or foe in cancer? This study reviews current evidence on the mechanistic, metabolic, immunological, and clinical impacts of exercise-induced lactate in cancer patients, highlighting the context-dependent effects that render lactate either beneficial or detrimental. Tumor-derived lactate seems to be pro-tumorigenic, driving immune suppression and disease progression, whereas short bursts of lactate from exercise can enhance anti-tumor immunity and metabolic reprogramming under the right conditions. Therefore, lactate’s impact on cancer is “all about the context”. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-07d534d01b42422a963f19dff5780a2b |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2218-273X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomolecules |
| spelling | doaj-art-07d534d01b42422a963f19dff5780a2b2025-08-20T03:08:05ZengMDPI AGBiomolecules2218-273X2025-07-01157101010.3390/biom15071010Context Matters: Divergent Roles of Exercise-Induced and Tumor-Derived Lactate in CancerAmir hossein Ahmadi Hekmatikar0Ghazal Zolfaghari1Aref Basereh2D. Maryama Awang Daud3Kayvan Khoramipour4Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran 10600, IranDepartment of Community Nutrition, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Technologies, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 35131-19111, IranDepartment of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, Kharazmi University, Tehran 10600, IranHealth Through Exercise and Active Living (HEAL) Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Sabah, Malaysiai+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012 Valladolid, SpainInstead of being waste product of metabolism, lactate, has become a key metabolic and signaling molecule in both exercise physiology and tumor biology. Carcinogenic cells produce huge amounts of lactate through the Warburg effect, which is a hallmark of aggressive tumors, increasing acidity in the environment that can stimulates angiogenesis, immune evasion, and metastasis. Conversely, while exercise acutely elevates blood lactate concentration but it consider helpful for cancer patients. This paradox raises the following question: is exercise-induced lactate a friend or foe in cancer? This study reviews current evidence on the mechanistic, metabolic, immunological, and clinical impacts of exercise-induced lactate in cancer patients, highlighting the context-dependent effects that render lactate either beneficial or detrimental. Tumor-derived lactate seems to be pro-tumorigenic, driving immune suppression and disease progression, whereas short bursts of lactate from exercise can enhance anti-tumor immunity and metabolic reprogramming under the right conditions. Therefore, lactate’s impact on cancer is “all about the context”.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/7/1010lactateexercisecancermetabolism |
| spellingShingle | Amir hossein Ahmadi Hekmatikar Ghazal Zolfaghari Aref Basereh D. Maryama Awang Daud Kayvan Khoramipour Context Matters: Divergent Roles of Exercise-Induced and Tumor-Derived Lactate in Cancer Biomolecules lactate exercise cancer metabolism |
| title | Context Matters: Divergent Roles of Exercise-Induced and Tumor-Derived Lactate in Cancer |
| title_full | Context Matters: Divergent Roles of Exercise-Induced and Tumor-Derived Lactate in Cancer |
| title_fullStr | Context Matters: Divergent Roles of Exercise-Induced and Tumor-Derived Lactate in Cancer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Context Matters: Divergent Roles of Exercise-Induced and Tumor-Derived Lactate in Cancer |
| title_short | Context Matters: Divergent Roles of Exercise-Induced and Tumor-Derived Lactate in Cancer |
| title_sort | context matters divergent roles of exercise induced and tumor derived lactate in cancer |
| topic | lactate exercise cancer metabolism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/7/1010 |
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