Our study reinforces the role of the microenvironment in the metabolic adaptation of cancer cells, showing that cells that retain metabolic features of their normal counterparts are positively selected by the organ’s microenvironment. In uterine cervix cancer, monocarboxylates transporter 1 (MCT1) was shown to be a key element in squamous cell carcinoma (the prevalent histological type) development. The expression of MCT1 enables cancer cells to consume lactic acid present in cervico-vaginal microenvironment. We believe MCT1 is a suitable therapeutic target in uterine cervix cancer.
