Lipid Metabolism and Cancer Progression
Summary
Lipid metabolism plays an essential role in cancer onset, progression and metastasis. Tumour cells reprogramme their lipid pathways to meet increased demands for membrane biogenesis, energy production and signalling. Elevated de novo lipogenesis supports membrane synthesis through enhanced activity of fatty acid synthase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase, while alterations in fatty acid β-oxidation provide ATP and biosynthetic precursors under energy stress. Enhanced lipid uptake via transporters can supplement endogenous synthesis, especially in adipose-rich niches. Storage and mobilisation of lipid species in lipid droplets protect cancer cells from lipotoxicity and oxidative stress, while facilitating rapid access to energy reserves. Hypoxia and oncogenic signalling factors orchestrate these shifts by regulating key enzymes and transcriptional programmes. Dysregulated lipid metabolism also shapes the tumour microenvironment by modulating immune cell function and promoting angiogenesis. Collectively, these adaptations underpin tumour growth, therapy resistance and organ-specific metastasis, highlighting lipid pathways as promising therapeutic targets and biomarkers.
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Lipid Metabolism and Cancer Progression publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in lipid metabolism and cancer progression across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
De novo lipogenesis: The synthesis of fatty acids from non-lipid precursors, primarily acetyl-CoA, mediated by enzymes such as fatty acid synthase.
Fatty acid β-oxidation: The mitochondrial or peroxisomal catabolism of fatty acids into acetyl-CoA, generating ATP and reducing equivalents.
Lipid droplet: Intracellular organelles that store neutral lipids, serving as energy reservoirs and buffers against lipotoxicity.
Tumour microenvironment: The complex milieu surrounding cancer cells, including stromal cells, immune cells, extracellular matrix and soluble factors.
Lipid uptake: The process by which cells internalise extracellular lipids via transporters, receptors or endocytosis.
References
- FBXW7β loss-of-function enhances FASN-mediated lipogenesis and promotes colorectal cancer growth. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy (2023).
- Metabolic reprogramming in the tumor microenvironment of liver cancer. Journal of Hematology & Oncology (2024).
- Stromal lipid species dictate melanoma metastasis and tropism. Cancer Cell (2025).
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