Lactate and Lactylation: What We Know and What We Expect in Tumour Progression

ABSTRACT

In 2017, lactate was proposed not only as an anaerobic glycolytic metabolite but also as a carbon source involved in the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle. Lactate plays various biological regulatory roles, such as in energy sources, signalling molecules, and immunomodulatory molecules. Increasing evidence has shown that lactate accumulation in the tumour microenvironment is a hallmark of cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying the role of lactate in cancer progression remain unclear. Recently, various metabolites, including lactate, were shown to regulate epigenetic modifications in a concentration‐dependent manner. In this review, we discuss advancements in the field that show how lactate and lactylation can accelerate the progression of cancer. The synthesis of the studies discussed herein may serve as a theoretical foundation for identifying novel mechanisms underlying rapid tumour progression and provide further insights that will benefit cancer therapies.