Chen JH, Wu JQ, Lv CM. Role of lactylation in tumorigenesis: Analysis based on the ten hallmarks of cancer. World J Clin Oncol 2026; 17(5): 113527 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v17.i5.113527]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Cun-Ming Lv, Academic Fellow, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, No. 8 Daxue Road, Yichang 443002, Hubei Province, China. lvcunming2003@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
Evidence Review
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Chen JH, Wu JQ, Lv CM. Role of lactylation in tumorigenesis: Analysis based on the ten hallmarks of cancer. World J Clin Oncol 2026; 17(5): 113527 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v17.i5.113527]
World J Clin Oncol. May 24, 2026; 17(5): 113527 Published online May 24, 2026. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v17.i5.113527
Role of lactylation in tumorigenesis: Analysis based on the ten hallmarks of cancer
Jin-Hao Chen, Jiang-Qiuchen Wu, Cun-Ming Lv
Jin-Hao Chen, Jiang-Qiuchen Wu, Cun-Ming Lv, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, Hubei Province, China
Co-first authors: Jin-Hao Chen and Jiang-Qiuchen Wu.
Author contributions: Chen JH and Lv CM reviewed and edited the manuscript, and contributed to original draft preparation; Chen JH and Wu JQ contributed equally to this manuscript as co-first authors; Wu JQ contributed to investigation and data curation; Lv CM contributed to conceptualization. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: Grammarly and DeepL were used under the authors’ supervision merely for language checking, grammar correction, translation consistency and polishing during manuscript revision. No generative AI including ChatGPT was applied to create any scientific content or main text of the manuscript. No AI tools were involved in study design, data analysis, result interpretation, conclusion formulation or evidence evaluation. All sections of the main text were independently drafted, revised and finalized by the authors. All figures were manually created by the authors with MedPeer and PowerPoint only for layout and formatting; no images were AI-generated.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Cun-Ming Lv, Academic Fellow, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, No. 8 Daxue Road, Yichang 443002, Hubei Province, China. lvcunming2003@163.com
Received: August 28, 2025 Revised: September 18, 2025 Accepted: March 10, 2026 Published online: May 24, 2026 Processing time: 266 Days and 1.4 Hours
Abstract
Lactylation, a recently discovered post-translational modification, is crucial in cancer biology, linking cellular metabolism to the regulation of gene expression. This modification involves the attachment of a lactyl group to lysine residues, which affects protein function and plays a key role in cancer progression by influencing major hallmarks of the disease. These hallmarks include sustaining proliferative signaling, evading growth suppressors, resisting cell death, enabling replicative immortality, inducing angiogenesis, promoting invasion and metastasis, reprogramming metabolism, avoiding immune destruction, enhancing genomic instability, and fueling tumor-promoting inflammation. Lactylation modifies key signaling pathways, including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, which are vital for tumor cell survival, growth, and metabolic adaptation. Furthermore, lactylation affects immune evasion and genomic instability, increasing the adaptability and metastatic potential of cancer cells. This review highlights the growing importance of lactylation in regulating cancer hallmarks and its potential as a biomarker for early cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Additionally, enzymes involved in lactylation, such as lactate dehydrogenase and acyltransferases, present promising therapeutic targets. Inhibiting these enzymes may decrease lactylation, inhibit tumor growth, and improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy. A deeper understanding of lactylation’s molecular mechanisms opens new avenues for developing more personalized and effective treatments, underscoring its role as a crucial factor in precision oncology.
Core Tip: Lactylation links metabolism to gene expression in cancer, serving as a critical epigenetic regulatory mechanism. Lactylation regulates key cancer hallmarks, including uncontrolled growth and invasive metastasis. Targeting lactylation-related enzymes can effectively enhance and improve current cancer therapies. Lactylation markers may serve as reliable cancer biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis. Understanding lactylation can lead to personalized cancer treatments.
