Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Dual Effects of Melanoma Cell-derived Factors on Bone Marrow Adipocytes Differentiation
Published on: August 23, 2018
Adiponectin in relation to malignancies: a review of existing basic research and clinical evidence
Diana Barb1, Catherine J Williams, Anke K Neuwirth
1Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and Disease, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Abstract:
Adiponectin, an adipocyte-secreted hormone that plays an important role in diabetes and cardiovascular disease, may also be of importance in the development and progression of several malignancies. Circulating adiponectin concentrations, which are determined mainly by genetic factors, nutrition, and adiposity, are lower in patients with breast, endometrial, prostate, and colon cancer. It has thus been proposed that adiponectin may be a biological link between obesity (especially central obesity) and increased cancer risk. Adiponectin may influence cancer risk through its well-recognized effects on insulin resistance, but it is also plausible that adiponectin acts on tumor cells directly. Several cancer cell types express adiponectin receptors that may mediate the effects of adiponectin on cellular proliferation. Herein, we review recent evidence supporting a role of serum adiponectin concentrations as a novel risk factor and possible diagnostic marker for obesity-related malignancies, including cancers of the breast, endometrium, colon, and prostate. Further studies are needed to fully elucidate the potential role of adiponectin in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
Related Concept Videos
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Abnormal Proliferation
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Cell Adhesion Molecules - Types and Functions
CAM Families
The Integrin family of proteins is primarily involved in a...

