J Appl Biomed 13:47-59, 2015 | DOI: 10.1016/j.jab.2014.09.004

Lipid metabolism and cancer progression: The missing target in metastatic cancer treatment

Maxwell Omabe^a,b,*, Martin Ezeani^b, Kenneth Nwobini Omabe^c

^a Department of Oncology, Cancer Research Division, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

^b Molecular Cancer Biology Research Group, Molecular Pathology and Immunology Division, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Science, Ebonyi State University, Nigeria

^c Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, University of Leicester, United Kingdom

There is a renewed interest in metabolism alterations and its impact on cancer development and progression. The metabolism of cancer cells is reprogrammed in order to support their rapid proliferation. Elevated fatty acid synthesis is one of the most important aberrations in cancer cell metabolism, and is required both for carcinogenesis and cancer cell survival. We have previously shown that cancer cells explore metabolic pathways especially autophagy and particularly enhanced glycolysis and suppressed oxidative phosphorylation to promote treatment resistance. To support cell proliferation in cancer, lipid metabolism and biosynthetic activities is required and often up-regulated. Here we bring lipid metabolic pathways into focus and summarized details that suggest a new perspective for improving chemotherapeutic responses in cancer treatment, and indicate the need to design more inclusive molecular targeting for a better treatment response.

Keywords: Adipocytes; Fatty acid synthase; Breast cancer; Prostate cancer; Palmitate; Glycolysis; Inflammation; Cytokines; Oxidative phosphorylation; Tumorigenesis

Received: July 17, 2014; Revised: September 17, 2014; Accepted: September 19, 2014; Published: February 1, 2015  Show citation