Coincidental Role of Fatty Acid Synthase in Obesity and Cancer treatment

Obesity, owing to adiposity can increase the risk of various cancers. It is also related to the rate of tumor growth. In-vivo studies suggested that it is possible to decrease melanoma progression either by orlistat treatment or restricting caloric. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is the biosynthetic enzyme responsible for the endogenous synthesis of fatty acids. It is down regulated in most normal cells, except in lipogenic tissues such as liver, lactating breast, fetal lung, and adipose tissue. In several human cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, over expression of FASN was observed, which has been suggested as a metabolic oncoprotein. In addition, increased necrosis and reduced angiogenesis were observed in tumors of the orlistat treated and/or calorically restricted obese mice.Orlistat is an irreversible inhibitor of FASN activity with cytotoxic properties on several cancer cell lines. FASN inhibitors reduce metastasis and tumor-induced angiogenesis in melanomas. Together, it demonstrates that controlling body weight reduces adipose mass decrease melanoma progression. Therefore, controlling obesity by reduced caloric diet or with antiobesity drugs treatment can reduce obesity-promoted tumor progression and prolong survival of patients.

Keywords:

Obesity , Cancer , Orlistat , FASN