Emerging Roles of Lipophagy in Cancer Metastasis

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Metastasis is the main cause of death in patients with malignant tumors worldwide. Mounting evidence suggests lipid droplet metabolism is involved in the process of metastasis. As a mechanism to selectively degrade lipid droplets, the current research on lipophagy and tumor metastasis is quite limited. This review summarizes the crosstalk among lipophagy, tumor lipid metabolism and cancer metastasis, which will provide a new reference for the development of effective targeted drugs. ABSTRACT: Obesity is a prominent risk factor for certain types of tumor progression. Adipocytes within tumor stroma contribute to reshaping tumor microenvironment (TME) and the metabolism and metastasis of tumors through the production of cytokines and adipokines. However, the crosstalk between adipocytes and tumor cells remains a major gap in this field. Known as a subtype of selective autophagy, lipophagy is thought to contribute to lipid metabolism by breaking down intracellular lipid droplets (LDs) and generating free fatty acids (FAs). The metastatic potential of cancer cells closely correlates with the lipid degradation mechanisms, which are required for energy generation, signal transduction, and biosynthesis of membranes. Here, we discuss the recent advance in the understanding of lipophagy with tumor lipid metabolism and review current studies on the roles of lipoghagy in the metastasis of certain human malignancies. Additionally, the novel candidate drugs targeting lipophagy are integrated for effective treatment strategies.