Emerging Roles of Lipophagy in Cancer Metastasis

Abstract

Obesity is a prominent risk factor for certain types of tumor progression. Adipocytes within tumor stroma contribute to reshaping tumor microenvironment (TME) and the metabolism and metastasis of tumors through the production of cytokines and adipokines. However, the crosstalk between adipocytes and tumor cells remains a major gap in this field. Known as a subtype of selective autophagy, lipophagy is thought to contribute to lipid metabolism by breaking down intracellular lipid droplets (LDs) and generating free fatty acids (FAs). The metastatic potential of cancer cells closely correlates with the lipid degradation mechanisms, which are required for energy generation, signal transduction, and biosynthesis of membranes. Here, we discuss the recent advance in the understanding of lipophagy with tumor lipid metabolism and review current studies on the roles of lipoghagy in the metastasis of certain human malignancies. Additionally, the novel candidate drugs targeting lipophagy are integrated for effective treatment strategies.

Harnessing Autophagy to Overcome Antigen-Specific T-Cell Dysfunction: Implication for People Living with HIV-1

“…However, when glucose becomes scarce, tumor cells can rewire their metabolism to promote long-term maintenance by using alternative sources of nutrition, which is a mechanism known as “metabolic plasticity” [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. This epigenetic process involves autophagy in providing tumor cells with recycled nutrients, that include amino acids, such as glutamine and lipid subunits, to provide additional metabolic resources rather than exclusively relying on glucose [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”