Modulating the Acidic Tumor Microenvironment to Enhance the Efficacy and Reduce the Toxicity of Cancer Treatment

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer progression is closely associated with the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME), a hallmark of disturbed metabolic and thermodynamic order. The Warburg effect—characterized by aerobic glycolysis and lactate accumulation—leads to extracellular acidification, redox imbalance, and immune suppression. Alkalization therapy aims to restore this disrupted homeostasis by normalizing intra- and extracellular pH gradients, reactivating mitochondrial respiration, and reestablishing dissipative energy flow. Recent evidence indicates that modulation of TME acidity enhances the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors, improves metabolic coordination, and suppresses tumor invasion and metastasis. This Special Issue, “Alkalization Therapy and Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer,” seeks to integrate molecular, metabolic, and clinical perspectives to elucidate how pH restoration can reconstruct biological order and provide a foundation for science-based, personalized cancer therapy.

Prof. Dr. Hiromi Wada
Dr. Keisuke Shirai
Guest Editors

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