Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment: A Literature Review of the Novel Anti-Tumor Mechanism of Statins

Statins is widely used in clinical practice as lipid-lowering drugs and has been proven to be effective in the treatment of cardiovascular, endocrine, metabolic syndrome and other diseases. The latest preclinical evidence shows that statins have anti-proliferation, pro-apoptotic, anti-invasion and radiotherapy sensitization effects on tumor cells, suggesting that statins may become a new type of anti-tumor drugs. However, statins do not have a sensitive antitumor effect on all tumors, and there are significant differences. A growing body of evidence suggests that cellular and acellular components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) can reprogram tumor initiation, growth, invasion, metastasis, and response to therapy. Therapeutic strategies that target TME, especially specific cells or pathways of TME, remain valuable research. However, the specific mechanism of the anti tumor effect of statins in the tumor microenvironment has not been clearly elucidated. Herein, we conclude that statins play an anti-tumor role based on the tumor microenvironment with emphasis on anoxic microenvironment, immune microenvironment, metabolism microenvironment and acid microenvironment.