The role of lipids in cancer progression and metastasis

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 mech-anisms 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 pro-gression and treat metastasis.

Automated summary

Lipids play essential roles in the body, but excessive lipids can promote tumor formation and metastasis. Cancer cells utilize lipid metabolism to adapt to the metastatic process and to resist treatment and promote relapse. Metabolic interventions aimed at reducing lipid availability to cancer cells provide promising opportunities for cancer prevention and treatment of metastasis.