A New Target for the Treatment of Cancer: Lipid Droplets

Cancer is characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of cells and their ability to spread to distant tissues. Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer, and dysregulation of lipid metabolism represents one of the most prominent metabolic alterations in tumor cells. In this context, lipid droplets (LDs) play a key role by supporting energy production and redox homeostasis, regulating autophagy, directing membrane synthesis, and modulating membrane composition. Through these functions, LDs help tumor cells minimize metabolic stress and facilitate tumor progression. LDs are dynamic organelles present in eukaryotic cells, consisting of a hydrophobic core of neutral lipids surrounded by a phospholipid monolayer. By regulating lipid storage and mobilization, LDs directly influence essential cellular processes required for survival, growth, and proliferation, including energy metabolism, membrane and organelle biogenesis, cell signaling, and gene transcription. This review addresses the composition and synthesis of LDs and examines their critical roles in cancer development, focusing particularly on selected cancer types.