Unraveling FATP1, regulated by ER-β, as a targeted breast cancer innovative therapy

The biochemical demands associated with tumor proliferation prompt neoplastic cells to augment the import of nutrients to sustain their survival and fuel cell growth, with a consequent metabolic remodeling. Fatty acids (FA) are crucial in this process, since they have a dual role as energetic coins and building blocks. Recently, our team has shown that FATP1 has a pivotal role in FA transfer between breast cancer cells (BCCs) and non-cancerous cells in the microenvironment. We aimed to investigate the role of FATP1 in BCCs and also to explore if FATP1 inhibition is a promising therapeutic strategy. In patients’ data, we showed a higher expression of FATP1/SLC27A1 in TNBC, which correlated with a significant decreased overall survival (OS). In vitro, we verified that FA and estradiol stimulated FATP1/SLC27A1 expression in BCCs. Additionally, experiments with estradiol and PHTPP (ER-β antagonist) showed that estrogen receptor-β (ER-β) regulates FATP1/SLC27A1 expression, the uptake of FA and cell viability, in four BCC lines. Furthermore, the inhibition of FATP1 with arylpiperazine 5k (DS22420314) interfered with the uptake of FA and cell viability. Our study, unraveled FATP1 as a putative therapeutic target in breast cancer (BC).