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Updated: May 14, 2026

Isolation and Culturing of Primary Murine Adipocytes from Lean and Obese Mice
Published on: January 24, 2025
Common mechanisms of dysfunctional adipose tissue and obesity-related cancers
P Matafome1, D Santos-Silva, C M Sena
1Laboratory of Physiology and IBILI, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-354 Coimbra, Portugal. paulomatafome@gmail.com
Abstract:
The relation between cancer and metabolic disorders was recognized several decades ago, but the underlying mechanisms involved in cancer development and progression remain obscure. In the last years, many groups have been studying systemic adipose tissue markers in cancer patients. However, few consistent results were obtained. On the other hand, several studies revealed many aspects of adipose tissue physiology in obesity. Nowadays, it is recognized that excessive lipid uptake in adipocytes leads to hypertrophy and consequently to metabolic dysregulation, hypoxia, inflammation, impaired adipocytokine expression and angiogenesis, insulin resistance and macrophage recruitment. In obese patients, tumours commonly colocalize with excessive adipose tissue accumulation, and most of the features of hypertrophic adipose tissue are observed in cancer patients, namely breast and colon. This review aimed to summarize pathological adipose tissue alterations that may contribute to cancer aetiology and development.
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