Analyzing the role of cancer-associated adipocytes in brest tumor metastasis

In breast cancer, the tumor microenvironment includes adipocytes and fibroblasts. When in contact with breast tumor cells, adipocytes undergo lipolysis and dedifferentiation. This thesis demonstrates that cancer-associated adipocytes (CAAs) shift gene expression towards progenitor, macrophage, and fibroblast phenotypes while decreasing the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism and adipogenesis. These changes support breast tumor cell migration and invasion. Exogenous lipid accumulation in tumor cells does not promote migration, but lipid uptake, lipolysis and catabolism are essential. Adipocytes alter tumor cell metabolism, increasing glucose consumption and reactive oxygen species production, and induce a partial epithelial to mesenchymal transition, with a Snail1 upregulation. Therefore, these findings highlight the crosstalk between adipocytes and breast tumor cells that promotes tumor progression.