Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 May;14(10):e70975.
doi: 10.1002/cam4.70975.

Lipid Metabolism in Gastrointestinal Malignancies: Exploring Dysregulation, Biomarkers, and Treatment Strategies

Yan An  1 , Huihui Song  2 , Hongyan Qiu  3   4 , Jun Jiang  1 , Junfeng Shi  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Lipid Metabolism in Gastrointestinal Malignancies: Exploring Dysregulation, Biomarkers, and Treatment Strategies

Yan An et al. Cancer Med. 2025 May.

Abstract

Background: Gastrointestinal malignancies are a major public health concern worldwide, characterized by high incidence and mortality rates. Despite continuous advancements in existing treatment methods, overall survival rates remain low. Lipid metabolism plays a crucial role in the occurrence, progression, and treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies. Its involvement in the metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells, regulation of the tumor microenvironment, and drug response has become a research hotspot.

Materials & methods: This review summarizes current research related to lipid metabolism mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapies in GI cancers, with emphasis on its interaction with the tumor microenvironment.

Keywords: TME; biomarkers; gastrointestinal malignancies; lipid metabolism; lipid‐targeted therapy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclaimer/Publisher's Note: The statements, opinions, and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions, or products referred to in the content.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Schematic diagram of lipid metabolic pathways in normal cells (A) and cancer Cells (B). This diagram contrasts the lipid metabolism pathways in normal cells and cancer cells. In cancer cells, processes like lipogenesis, fatty acid oxidation (FAO), and cholesterol synthesis are disrupted. Arrows indicate the direction of regulation: ↑ for upregulation and ↓ for downregulation.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The interaction network between tumor microenvironment (TME) and lipid metabolism.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Lipid‐targeted therapy in combination with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Recent studies demonstrate that inhibitors of lipid metabolism enhance the efficacy of conventional anti‐tumor therapies, including chemotherapy, molecular targeted agents, and immunotherapy. Key targets include lipid uptake (CD36, FABPs, and FATPs), lipid synthesis (ACLY, ACC, FASN, SCD, SREBP, HMGCR, and COX), fatty acid oxidation (FAO and CPT1), and lipid storage in lipid droplets (DGAT and ACAT). These strategies offer promising avenues to overcome drug resistance, reshape the tumor microenvironment, and improve therapeutic outcomes in gastrointestinal cancers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Tong Y., Gao H., Qi Q., et al., “High Fat Diet, Gut Microbiome and Gastrointestinal Cancer,” Theranostics 11, no. 12 (2021): 5889–5910. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Shi F., Li T., Liu Z., et al., “FOXO1: Another Avenue for Treating Digestive Malignancy?,” Seminars in Cancer Biology 50 (2018): 124–131. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zheng Q., Chen C., Guan H., Kang W., and Yu C., “Prognostic Role of microRNAs in Human Gastrointestinal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis,” Oncotarget 8, no. 28 (2017): 46611–46623. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lu L., Mullins C. S., Schafmayer C., Zeißig S., and Linnebacher M., “A Global Assessment of Recent Trends in Gastrointestinal Cancer and Lifestyle‐Associated Risk Factors,” Cancer Communications 41, no. 11 (2021): 1137–1151. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Shadmani F. K., Farzadfar F., Yoosefi M., Mansori K., Shadman R. K., and Haghdoost A., “Premature Mortality of Gastrointestinal Cancer in Iran: Trends and Projections 2001‐2030,” BMC Cancer 20, no. 1 (2020): 752. - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources