Tumor-associated Adipose Tissue Microenvironment Supports Tumor Progression

Abstract

The peritumoral adipose tissue makes an intricate crosstalk with tumor cells and also plays a key role in tumor proliferation, invasion and metastasis because it provides hormones, adipokines and fatty acids to tumor cells. With the development and progression of the tumor, the peritumoral adipose tissue exhibits abundant and intricate changes on the basis of original construction and function. In this review, by newly defining the tumor-associated adipose tissue microenvironment, we summarized the structure, characters and the possible inducements of the tumor-associated adipose tissue microenvironment. Based on the analysis above, we further discussed the potential roles of the tumor-associated adipose tissue microenvironment in the progression of different tumor types, to provide theoretical support for the development of new drugs targeting the peritumoral adipose tissue microenvironment and clinical application of these potential agents.

Keywords

• tumor-associated adipose tissue microenvironment
• adipocyte
• breast cancer
• estrogen