Cell biology

Metastasis

Tumor progression

Biology

Catabolism

Stromal cell

Metabolism

Cancer research

Biochemistry

Immunology

Genetics

Immune system

Inflammation

Anabolism

Tumor microenvironment

Lipid signaling

Lipid metabolism

Carcinogenesis

Cancer

Cancer cell

Cell Metabolism

Lipids have essential biological functions in the body (e.g., providing energy storage, acting as a signaling molecule, and being a structural component of membranes); however, an excess of lipids can promote tumorigenesis, colonization, and metastatic capacity of tumor cells. To metastasize, a tumor cell goes through different stages that require lipid-related metabolic and structural adaptations. These adaptations include altering the lipid membrane composition for invading other niches and overcoming cell death mechanisms and promoting lipid catabolism and anabolism for energy and oxidative stress protective purposes. Cancer cells also harness lipid metabolism to modulate the activity of stromal and immune cells to their advantage and to resist therapy and promote relapse. All this is especially worrying given the high fat intake in Western diets. Thus, metabolic interventions aiming to reduce lipid availability to cancer cells or to exacerbate their metabolic vulnerabilities provide promising therapeutic opportunities to prevent cancer progression and treat metastasis.

The role of lipids in cancer progression and metastasis