ReviewBiochimica et biophysica acta2013
Adipose tissue and adipocytes support tumorigenesis and metastasis.
Review in Biochimica et biophysica acta, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 457 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
457 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Uncovering the research evolution and hotspots of metabolism in renal cell carcinoma over the last decade.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Pooled it
- Improving Autologous Fat Grafting in Regenerative Surgery through Stem Cell-Assisted Lipotransfer.Stem cell reviews and reports · 2023Pooled it
- Toward targeted therapeutics for lobular breast cancer.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2026Review
- Identification and functional validation of lipid droplet-associated prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer via integrative multi-omics and machine learning approaches.International journal of clinical oncology · 2026Article
- Peritoneal ovarian cancer growth in the omentum proceeds independently of mature adipocytes.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Targeting GLP-1R and IL-17A suppresses obesity-induced leukemia in an oncogenic PTPN11 mutation-driven model.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2026Article
- Adipocyte-Derived Palmitic Acid Promotes Breast Cancer Malignancy via ZDHHC15-Mediated S-Palmitoylation of PPARγ.Cancer science · 2026Article
- Mechanistic Links Between Obesity and Breast Cancer Progression: Cellular Crosstalk, Metabolic Reprogramming and Microenvironmental Drivers.Cell biochemistry and function · 2026Review
- Article
- The metabolic plasticity of cancer stem cells: bidirectional crosstalk with organ-resident cells.Experimental & molecular medicine · 2026Review
- Peritumoural adipose tissue drives immune evasion in colorectal cancer via adipose-mesenchymal transformation.Nature cell biology · 2026Article
- Impact of body mass index on the prognosis of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.Blood advances · 2026Article
- Dedifferentiation of Mature Adipocytes and Their Future Potential for Regenerative Medicine Applications.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- Does immunotherapy hold great promise in endometrial cancer care?Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Article
- A crosstalk between tumor cells and adipocytes facilitates tumor cell migration and invasion.International journal of biological sciences · 2026Article
- Catabolic rewiring in cancer impacts dietary interventions.Communications biology · 2025Review
- Dedifferentiation and metabolic reprogramming of human adipocytes in the tumor niche triggered by colorectal cancer cells.Biological research · 2025Article
- Immunometabolic Gatekeeping: Reconciling Peto's & the T-cell Infiltration Prognostic Paradox.ArXiv · 2025Article
- Adipocytes enhance tongue cancer progression potentially via IL-6 and extracellular vesicles.Scientific reports · 2025Article
397 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Adipose tissue influences tumor development in two major ways. First, obese individuals have a higher risk of developing certain cancers (endometrial, esophageal, and renal cell cancer). However, the risk of developing other cancers (melanoma, rectal, and ovarian) is not altered by body mass. In obesity, hypertrophied adipose tissue depots are characterized by a state of low grade inflammation. In this activated state, adipocytes and inflammatory cells secrete adipokines and cytokines which are known to promote tumor development. In addition, the adipocyte mediated conversion of androgens to estrogen specifically contributes to the development of endometrial cancer, which shows the greatest relative risk (6.3-fold) increase between lean and obese individuals. Second, many tumor types (gastric, breast, colon, renal, and ovarian) grow in the anatomical vicinity of adipose tissue. During their interaction with cancer cells, adipocytes dedifferentiate into pre-adipocytes or are reprogrammed into cancer-associated adipocytes (CAA). CAA secrete adipokines which stimulate the adhesion, migration, and invasion of tumor cells. Cancer cells and CAA also engage in a dynamic exchange of metabolites. Specifically, CAA release fatty acids through lipolysis which are then transferred to cancer cells and used for energy production through β-oxidation. The abundant availability of lipids from adipocytes in the tumor microenvironment, supports tumor progression and uncontrolled growth. Given that adipocytes are a major source of adipokines and energy for the cancer cell, understanding the mechanisms of metabolic symbiosis between cancer cells and adipocytes, should reveal new therapeutic possibilities. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Lipid Metabolism in Cancer.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.