Fatty Acid Metabolism: A New Therapeutic Target for Cervical Cancer

Overview

Journal Front Oncol

Specialty Oncology

Date 2023 Apr 14

PMID 37056351

Authors

Pengbin Ping

Juan Li

Hongbin Lei

Xiaoying Xu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common malignancies in women. Cancer cells can use metabolic reprogramming to produce macromolecules and ATP needed to sustain cell growth, division and survival. Recent evidence suggests that fatty acid metabolism and its related lipid metabolic pathways are closely related to the malignant progression of CC. In particular, it involves the synthesis, uptake, activation, oxidation, and transport of fatty acids. Similarly, more and more attention has been paid to the effects of intracellular lipolysis, transcriptional regulatory factors, other lipid metabolic pathways and diet on CC. This study reviews the latest evidence of the link between fatty acid metabolism and CC; it not only reveals its core mechanism but also discusses promising targeted drugs for fatty acid metabolism. This study on the complex relationship between carcinogenic signals and fatty acid metabolism suggests that fatty acid metabolism will become a new therapeutic target in CC.

Citing Articles

Hypoxia‑induced SREBP1‑mediated lipogenesis and autophagy promote cell survival via fatty acid oxidation in breast cancer cells.

Jung J, Yang Y, Kim Y Oncol Lett. 2025; 29(4):175.

PMID: 39975955 PMC: 11837466. DOI: 10.3892/ol.2025.14921.

DLAT is involved in ovarian cancer progression by modulating lipid metabolism through the JAK2/STAT5A/SREBP1 signaling pathway.

Wang H, Luo S, Yin Y, Liu Y, Sun X, Qiu L Cancer Cell Int. 2025; 25(1):25.

PMID: 39871246 PMC: 11773875. DOI: 10.1186/s12935-025-03656-7.

Fatty acid metabolism: A new target for nasopharyngeal carcinoma therapy.

Li J, Ping P, Li Y, Xu X Chin J Cancer Res. 2025; 36(6):652-668.

PMID: 39802901 PMC: 11724175. DOI: 10.21147/j.issn.1000-9604.2024.06.05.

AUP1 transcriptionally activated by KDM5B reprograms lipid metabolism to promote the malignant progression of cervical cancer.

Zhu Y, Yang W, Wang X, Chen M Int J Oncol. 2024; 65(5).

PMID: 39329209 PMC: 11436259. DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2024.5695.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Cervical Cancer: Review and Potential Prognostic Applications.

Iqbal Z, Albuquerque K, Chan K Cancers (Basel). 2024; 16(11).

PMID: 38893260 PMC: 11171343. DOI: 10.3390/cancers16112141.

References

Hua T, Kim M, Vo V, Choi J, Choi J, Kim H . Inhibition of oncogenic Src induces FABP4-mediated lipolysis via PPARγ activation exerting cancer growth suppression. EBioMedicine. 2019; 41:134-145. PMC: 6442332. DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.02.015. View

Frenel J, Le Tourneau C, ONeil B, Ott P, Piha-Paul S, Gomez-Roca C . Safety and Efficacy of Pembrolizumab in Advanced, Programmed Death Ligand 1-Positive Cervical Cancer: Results From the Phase Ib KEYNOTE-028 Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2017; 35(36):4035-4041. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2017.74.5471. View

Madak-Erdogan Z, Band S, Zhao Y, Smith B, Kulkoyluoglu-Cotul E, Zuo Q . Free Fatty Acids Rewire Cancer Metabolism in Obesity-Associated Breast Cancer via Estrogen Receptor and mTOR Signaling. Cancer Res. 2019; 79(10):2494-2510. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-2849. View

Bojkova B, Winklewski P, Wszedybyl-Winklewska M . Dietary Fat and Cancer-Which Is Good, Which Is Bad, and the Body of Evidence. Int J Mol Sci. 2020; 21(11). PMC: 7312362. DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114114. View

Tomek K, Wagner R, Varga F, Singer C, Karlic H, Grunt T . Blockade of fatty acid synthase induces ubiquitination and degradation of phosphoinositide-3-kinase signaling proteins in ovarian cancer. Mol Cancer Res. 2011; 9(12):1767-79. DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-10-0467. View

Shahidi F, Ambigaipalan P . Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Their Health Benefits. Annu Rev Food Sci Technol. 2018; 9:345-381. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-food-111317-095850. View

Wang C, Shi M, Ji J, Cai Q, Zhao Q, Jiang J . Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) facilitates the growth and anti-ferroptosis of gastric cancer cells and predicts poor prognosis of gastric cancer. Aging (Albany NY). 2020; 12(15):15374-15391. PMC: 7467382. DOI: 10.18632/aging.103598. View

Rose P, Bundy B, Watkins E, Thigpen J, Deppe G, Maiman M . Concurrent cisplatin-based radiotherapy and chemotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer. N Engl J Med. 1999; 340(15):1144-53. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199904153401502. View

Nascimento J, Mariot C, Vianna D, Kliemann L, Chaves P, Loda M . Fatty acid synthase as a potential new therapeutic target for cervical cancer. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2022; 94(2):e20210670. DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202220210670. View

10.

Jeong B, Choi D, Huh S, Park W, Bae D, Kim B . The role of squamous cell carcinoma antigen as a prognostic and predictive factor in carcinoma of uterine cervix. Radiat Oncol J. 2012; 29(3):191-8. PMC: 3429902. DOI: 10.3857/roj.2011.29.3.191. View

11.

Butler L, Perone Y, Dehairs J, Lupien L, de Laat V, Talebi A . Lipids and cancer: Emerging roles in pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2020; 159:245-293. PMC: 7736102. DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.07.013. View

12.

Zhao Q, Lin X, Wang G . Targeting SREBP-1-Mediated Lipogenesis as Potential Strategies for Cancer. Front Oncol. 2022; 12:952371. PMC: 9330218. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.952371. View

13.

Carbone M, Melino G . Stearoyl CoA Desaturase Regulates Ferroptosis in Ovarian Cancer Offering New Therapeutic Perspectives. Cancer Res. 2019; 79(20):5149-5150. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-19-2453. View

14.

Fernandes A, Viveros-Carreno D, Hoegl J, Avila M, Pareja R . Human papillomavirus-independent cervical cancer. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2021; 32(1):1-7. DOI: 10.1136/ijgc-2021-003014. View

15.

Yang D, Li Y, Xing L, Tan Y, Sun J, Zeng B . Utilization of adipocyte-derived lipids and enhanced intracellular trafficking of fatty acids contribute to breast cancer progression. Cell Commun Signal. 2018; 16(1):32. PMC: 6006729. DOI: 10.1186/s12964-018-0221-6. View

16.

Icard P, Wu Z, Fournel L, Coquerel A, Lincet H, Alifano M . ATP citrate lyase: A central metabolic enzyme in cancer. Cancer Lett. 2019; 471:125-134. DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.12.010. View

17.

Deng M, Cai X, Long L, Xie L, Ma H, Zhou Y . CD36 promotes the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis in cervical cancer by interacting with TGF-β. J Transl Med. 2019; 17(1):352. PMC: 6815430. DOI: 10.1186/s12967-019-2098-6. View

18.

Hatzivassiliou G, Zhao F, Bauer D, Andreadis C, Shaw A, Dhanak D . ATP citrate lyase inhibition can suppress tumor cell growth. Cancer Cell. 2005; 8(4):311-21. DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2005.09.008. View

19.

Zhou X, Chang T, Chen S, Liu T, Wang H, Liang J . Polydopamine-Decorated Orlistat-Loaded Hollow Capsules with an Enhanced Cytotoxicity against Cancer Cell Lines. Mol Pharm. 2019; 16(6):2511-2521. DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b00116. View

20.

Luis G, Godfroid A, Nishiumi S, Cimino J, Blacher S, Maquoi E . Tumor resistance to ferroptosis driven by Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase-1 (SCD1) in cancer cells and Fatty Acid Biding Protein-4 (FABP4) in tumor microenvironment promote tumor recurrence. Redox Biol. 2021; 43:102006. PMC: 8163990. DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2021.102006. View