Exploring the significance of fatty acid metabolism reprogramming in the pathogenesis of cancer and anticancer therapy

One of the important markers that distinguish tumor cells from normal cells is metabolic reprogramming. Among them, the reprogramming of fatty acid metabolism not only supports the fuel supply for energy but also meets the needs of rapid biosynthesis, providing selective growth advantages for tumor cells to resist harsh microenvironments. Due to the crucial role of fatty acid metabolic reprogramming in tumor metabolism, its various functions in cancer have attracted more and more attention. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of fatty acid metabolic reprogramming in tumor cells and the series of responses (such as active ferroptosis signaling), analyze the potential impacts brought by fatty acid metabolic reprogramming in various human cancers and focus on the significance of targeting fatty acid metabolic pathways and dietary control in cancer treatment.