Inhibitors of Fatty Acid Synthesis and Oxidation as Potential Anticancer Agents in Colorectal Cancer Treatment

Aberrant fatty acid (FA) metabolism has long been recognized in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Since de novo lipogenesis is required for CRC tumour growth and survival, the inhibition of FA metabolism is a promising potential therapeutic target. Inhibition of the opposite process, beta-oxidation of FAs, has also showed promising results in many CRC models. For patients with CRC, both FA synthesis and beta-oxidation inhibitors are promising potential therapeutic options as monotherapies or as combination therapies with other anticancer agents. In this review, we discuss recent reports concerning inhibitors of FA synthesis and beta-oxidation in various CRC models. The exact mechanisms of action of the selected compounds described in this review remain unknown and require precise evaluation before the development of new successful therapies for CRC is possible.