Cancer-associated adipocytes in the ovarian cancer microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in high energy metabolism during tumorigenesis, progression and metastasis. Among them, adipocytes, as an important component of the TME, can transform into cancer-associated adipocytes (CAAs) through dedifferentiation via interactions with tumor cells. These CAAs provide nutrients, growth factors, cytokines and metabolites to the tumor and later transdifferentiate into other stromal cells at a later stage to alter tumor growth, metastasis and the drug response and ultimately influence the treatment and prognosis of ovarian cancer. This review outlines the physiological functions of CAAs and discusses the progress in the use of CAAs as therapeutic targets in ovarian cancer.