Lipid metabolism and signaling in cancer

Cancer cells frequently display specific alterations in their metabolic activity. Reprogramming of lipid metabolism is now a recognized hallmark of malignancy, and reactivation of fatty acids (FA) and cholesterol biosynthesis is frequently observed in cancer tissue. Lipids exert an essential role in mediating intracellular oncogenic signaling, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and crosstalk with the tumor microenvironment. However, the contribution of lipids to cellular transformation, tumor development, and progression is still not completely understood. Over the past years, a more detailed picture of the functional relevance of liver X receptor (LXR) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) in tumorigenesis has begun to emerge, with regard to cholesterol and fatty acids metabolism, respectively. While the analysis of SCD1’s role in tumor progression gave rise to contradictory results, LXR signaling exerts a protective effect against cancer proliferation and survival. Although additional studies are needed, it is now clear that strategies aimed at limiting the availability of lipids are necessary to block cancer growth.