CD8A and neoplasm: Complementing these findings, Yang et al. (2024) highlighted metabolic heterogeneity within ccRCC by correlating CD8+ T cell energy metabolism with exhaustion and linking sphingolipid metabolism to M2 macrophage polarization; notably, they identified that the tumor epicenter exhibits heightened metabolic activity, with increased tricarboxylic acid cycle engagement and glycolysis, whereas the pericapsular regions are enriched in markers of vasculogenesis, inflammatory responses, and EMT [49].