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VOL. 10, ISSUE 2 (2025)
Role of Anaerobic respiration derived lactic acid in severing malignant breast cells
Authors
Hritik Chaudhary, Siddhant Mavi
Abstract
Anaerobic respiration, a metabolic process
occurring in the absence of oxygen, leads to the production of lactic acid as a
byproduct. Traditionally, lactic acid was considered a mere metabolic waste
product, but its involvement in cancer progression has garnered increasing
attention. In breast cancer, the accumulation of lactic acid due to the
tendency of cancer cells to favor glycolysis over oxidative phosphorylation,
creates an acidic microenvironment. Lactic acid affects malignant breast cells
by inducing cellular stress responses that can lead to apoptosis (programmed
cell death) and altering cellular signaling pathways. In normal conditions,
somatic cells including mammary epithelial cells undergo oxidative
phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for the production of energy to carry out normal
metabolic activities, but in some specific conditions such as hypoxic condition
cells may switch from aerobic OXPHOS to anaerobic glycolysis leading to lactate
production, this phenomenon is referred to us Warburg’s effect. When a normal
cell transforms into a malignant cell due to different oncogenic factors, its
metabolism also tends to change, for example the uptake of glucose by the tumor
cells is abnormally increased and after its metabolism through the glycolytic
pathway,instead of going into Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation leading
to energy generation, a huge portion of it gets converted into lactic acid even
under normal aerobic conditions or normoxic conditions ; this phenomenon is
referred to as metabolic switch. Certain oncogenic genetic alterations,
over-expression of some enzymes and enhanced activity of some metabolite
transporters are thought to be the reasons for this shift, which are explored
briefly in this review. Also the effect of lactic acid in key immunological
processes and modulations of certain immune cells related to tumor development
are also reviewed. Recent advancements suggest that targeting lactic acid
production or its effects could provide new avenues for breast cancer
treatment, either by exploiting its ability to induce cancer cell death or by
counteracting its tumor-promoting properties. This review focuses on the
emerging evidence suggesting that lactic acid, traditionally viewed as a mere
waste product, may influence the behavior of cancer cells. Understanding the
mechanisms by which lactic acid affects breast cancer cells could provide novel
insights into metabolic interventions and improve therapeutic strategies for
managing malignant breast tumors.
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Pages:25-32
How to cite this article:
Hritik Chaudhary, Siddhant Mavi "Role of Anaerobic respiration derived lactic acid in severing malignant breast cells". International Journal of Advanced Scientific Research, Vol 10, Issue 2, 2025, Pages 25-32
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