Lipid metabolism in cancer: New perspectives and emerging mechanisms

Tumors undergo metabolic transformations to sustain uncontrolled proliferation, avoid cell death, and seed in secondary organs. An increased focus on cancer lipid metabolism has unveiled a number of mechanisms that promote tumor growth and survival, many of which are independent of classical cellular bioenergetics. These mechanisms include modulation of ferroptotic-mediated cell death, support during tumor metastasis, and interactions with the cells of the tumor microenvironment. As such, targeting lipid metabolism for anticancer therapies is attractive, with recent work on small-molecule inhibitors identifying compounds to target lipid metabolism. Here, we discuss these topics and identify open questions.

Automated summary

Tumors undergo metabolic changes to support growth, and increasing focus on cancer lipid metabolism has revealed mechanisms promoting tumor growth and survival that are distinct from traditional cellular bioenergetics. Targeting lipid metabolism for anticancer therapy shows promise, but there are still unanswered questions in this field.