Study Shows Tumor Cells Exploit Fat Cells to Fuel Aggressive Breast Cancer
Being overweight or obese increases breast cancer risk. New research suggests breast cancer tumors may feed on neighboring fat cells. This mechanism could help treat aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (15% of cases), which is more common in Black women and those under 40. Tumor cells create gap junctions to access fat cells' lipids. Blocking these structures stops tumor growth. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that closer fat cells to tumors are more depleted of lipids. Researchers found similar results in mouse models. Lead author Jeremy Williams notes that treatments targeting gap junctions could starve tumors of lipids. Obesity is a known risk factor for breast cancer, and weight management might reduce cancer risk.