Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) comprises complex interactions of multiple cell types that determines cell behavior and metabolism such as nutrient competition and immune suppression. We discuss the various types of heterogeneity that exist in solid tumors, and the complications this invokes for studies of TME. As human subjects and in vivo model systems are complex and difficult to manipulate, simpler 3D model systems that are compatible with flexible experimental control are necessary for studying metabolic regulation in TME. Stable Isotope Resolved Metabolomics (SIRM) is a valuable tool for tracing metabolic networks in complex systems, but at present does not directly address heterogeneous metabolism at the individual cell level. We compare the advantages and disadvantages of different model systems for SIRM experiments, with a focus on lung cancer cells, their interactions with macrophages and T cells, and their response to modulators in the immune microenvironment. We describe the experimental set up, illustrate results from 3D cultures and co-cultures of lung cancer cells with human macrophages, and outline strategies to address the heterogeneous TME.
Document Type
Review
Publication Date
6-15-2020
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10060249
Funding Information
This work was supported by 1P01CA163223-01A1, 1U24DK097215-01A1, Markey Cancer Center Support Grant pilot funds, the Carmen L. Buck Chair in Oncology (to A.N.L.), and the Edith D. Gardner Chair in Cancer Research (to T.W-M.F..). NMR. and MS. were recorded using the Metabolism Shared Resources supported in part by P30CA177558 (to B.M. Evers).
Repository Citation
Fan, Teresa W-M; Higashi, Richard M.; Chernayavskaya, Yelena; and Lane, Andrew N., "Resolving Metabolic Heterogeneity in Experimental Models of the Tumor Microenvironment from a Stable Isotope Resolved Metabolomics Perspective" (2020). Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry Faculty Publications. 8.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cesb_facpub/8
Notes/Citation Information
Published in Metabolites, v. 10, no. 6, 249, p. 1-26.
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).