fig3

Figure 3. Hypoxia in the TME. This figure illustrates a region of a tumor devoid of vasculature, leading to an oxygen-starved environment. This hypoxic zone is characterized by low pH and a predominance of lactate. Within this environment, TAMs tend to adopt an M2 phenotype, and Tregs become the predominant T cell population. Hypoxic conditions also encourage the expression of the ectoenzymes CD39 and CD73, leading to a surge in extracellular ADO. This increase in adenosine, in turn, helps to sustain an immunosuppressive environment within the tumor. Note: this illustration does not depict the anatomical structure of the tumor, but rather represents the phenomena occurring at different levels of tumor oxygenation. ADO: Adenosine; A2BR: A2B receptors; NK: natural killer; TAM: tumor-associated macrophage; TME: tumor microenvironment; Tregs: regulatory T cells.