Fig. 2
From: Role of mitochondrial alterations in human cancer progression and cancer immunity
The role of mitochondria in cancer immunity. Mitochondria are essential for the immune regulatory function of T cells, macrophages, and NK cells. In T cells, activated T cells might rely more on glycolysis than OXPHOS and are characterized by fission and flabby cristae-type mitochondria. ROS are essential to the activation of T cells. Switching to OXPHOS or fatty acid oxidation might be implicated in the immunosuppressive status. Similarly, proinflammatory macrophages are more dependent on glycolysis and ROS, while increased OXPHOS and fatty acid oxidation might contribute to the differentiation of anti-inflammatory macrophages. NK cells mainly utilize glucose through elevated glycolysis and OXPHOS to support cytokine secretion and maintain cytotoxic activity. A combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors with agents modulating energy metabolism and mitochondria might be a precision and personalized modality for cancer immunotherapy. The figure was created with BioRender.com