About this Research Topic

Background

The evidence of adipose tissue-cancer has been reported in various cancer type including breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer. Given the rising prevalence of both obesity and cancer worldwide, the research need of adipose tissue-cancer link has become imperative. Accumulating knowledge of the adipose tissue microenvironment (ATME) promotes our understanding of several major physio-pathological processes. The homeostasis of adipose tissue is strictly controlled by dynamic molecular cross-talk between adipocytes, preadipocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial cells, perivascular cells, stromal cells, inflammatory cells, and circulating cells. Now, it is widely accepted that adipose tissue is a major player during the onset and the progression of cancer, driven in part by metabolic and inflammatory changes in the tissue that dysregulate the physiological homeostasis. However, the detailed mechanisms underpinning the adipose tissue-cancer link remain elusive and are still under intense investigation.

Mechanistic studies show adipose tissue affects adjacent tumor tissue progression via paracrine adipokine, inflammatory cytokine, angiogenic cytokine, metabolites, or extracellular matrix compositions. Nevertheless, it modulates distant tumor tissue via endocrine signaling or regulation of global inflammatory status. Thus, pharmacological or physiological interventions targeting these pathways may delay the onset and progression of cancer, reduce the metastasis, or reverse drug resistance. Moreover, BMI itself has its limitations as a measurement of adiposity and, thus, is not an ideal marker for identifying high-risk individuals. Instead, understanding the detailed mechanism of cross-talk between various adipose cellular components is vital for discovering new therapies, finding potential drug targets, and identifying new biomarkers for more personalized interventions.

In this research topic, we would like to welcome microenvironmental studies with clear molecular mechanisms, new concept of organ communications, or direct clinical relevance. We welcome mechanistic microenvironmental studies or comprehensive reviews focusing on:

• The molecular mechanism of the interaction between various cellular components in the adipose tissue microenvironment in cancer.
• Adipose tissue inflammation and its consequences for the onset and progression of cancer.
• Biomarker identification for metabolic syndromes.
• Targeting molecular pathways of adipose tissue microenvironment for cancer treatment.

Keywords: Adipose Tissue Microenvironment, Metabolic Syndrome, Tumor Microenvironment, Fat Metabolism, Cancer Therapy

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