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Updated: Feb 2, 2026
07:24
Assessment of Human Adipose Tissue Microvascular Function Using Videomicroscopy
Published on: September 29, 2017
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The obese adipose tissue microenvironment in cancer development and progression
Daniela F Quail1, Andrew J Dannenberg2
1Goodman Cancer Research Centre, Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. daniela.quail@mcgill.ca.
Nature Reviews. Endocrinology
|November 22, 2018
Summary
Obesity fuels cancer growth and progression through metabolic and inflammatory changes in adipose tissue. Understanding the adipose tissue microenvironment (ATME) is crucial for developing new cancer prevention and treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Metabolic Research
- Immunology
Background:
- Obesity is a significant risk factor for increased cancer incidence and mortality, contributing to up to 20% of cancer deaths.
- Metabolic and inflammatory alterations within adipose tissue are key drivers of the obesity-cancer link, disrupting systemic homeostasis.
- The precise mechanisms connecting obesity and cancer remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review how the adipose tissue microenvironment (ATME) changes with weight gain.
- To explore the influence of these ATME modifications on tumor initiation and progression.
- To discuss potential therapeutic strategies targeting the ATME for cancer prevention and treatment.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on obesity, adipose tissue physiology, and cancer.
- Focus on key aspects of the ATME: inflammation, vascularity, and fibrosis.
- Analysis of how ATME dysregulation impacts tumor development.
Main Results:
- Adipose tissue undergoes significant changes during weight gain, creating a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment.
- Inflammation, altered vascularization, and fibrosis within the ATME promote cancer initiation and progression.
- Therapeutic normalization of the ATME shows promise for cancer prevention and therapy.
Conclusions:
- The evolving ATME in obesity plays a critical role in cancer development.
- Targeting the ATME offers a potential therapeutic avenue for obesity-related cancers.
- Further translational research is needed to elucidate mechanisms and identify high-risk individuals beyond BMI.
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