LDHA-driven lactate metabolism promotes MDSC activation and immunosuppressive microenvironment in prostate cancer

Immunotherapy has achieved limited efficacy in prostate Cancer (PCa), largely due to its profoundly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the metabolic mechanisms underpinning this immune resistance remain poorly defined. Here, we identify Lactate Dehydrogenase A (LDHA)-driven lactate metabolism as a critical regulator of myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) activation in PCa. Integrated metabolomic, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomic analyses revealed that LDHA is highly expressed in PCa malignant epithelial cells and correlates with increased lactate production and immune exclusion. LDHA-high tumors exhibited enriched infiltration of polymorphonuclear MDSCs (PMN-MDSCs), which were spatially co-localized with LDHA-positive tumor regions. Mechanistically, lactate uptake through Monocarboxylate Transporter 1 (MCT1) enhanced PMN-MDSC differentiation and upregulated Arg1 and NOS2, reinforcing T cell suppression. Genetic ablation of LDHA in murine models markedly reduced PMN-MDSC infiltration, restored CD8⁺T cell activity, and inhibited tumor growth. Pharmacological inhibition of LDHA with FX-11 synergized with anti-PD-L1 therapy, producing durable tumor regression. Collectively, these findings define LDHA-driven lactate metabolism as a key metabolic checkpoint in PCa immune evasion and provide a rationale for combining LDHA inhibition with immune checkpoint blockade to overcome immunotherapy resistance.