Tumor Microenvironment Acidity (TME acidity)

Tumor microenvironment acidity refers to the acidic extracellular pH found in solid tumors (typically 6.2-6.8) compared to normal tissue pH (7.2-7.4). This is primarily due to altered cancer cell metabolism (Warburg effect), hypoxia, and poor blood perfusion, leading to excessive production and export of lactic acid and protons. The acidic TME promotes tumor progression by enhancing invasion, metastasis, immune evasion, angiogenesis, therapy resistance, and metabolic adaptation. Targeting TME acidity is a promising approach using alkalinizing agents, inhibitors of proton pumps/transporters, and pH-responsive nanoplatforms to normalize extracellular pH, restore immune function, and sensitize tumors to therapies. Its presence is associated with poor prognosis.

Other names

Acidic tumor microenvironmentLow extracellular pH in tumorsAcidic TME

Normalization of extracellular pH, inhibition of proton transport, targeted drug delivery via pH-sensitive nanoplatforms