The multifaceted roles of fatty acid synthesis in cancer

Key Points Cancer cells activate de novo fatty acid synthesis to provide essential structural components and substrates for the generation of signalling molecules. Transcriptional regulators of lipid biosynthesis are downstream targets of oncogenes and tumour suppressor pathways. Cancer cells can induce lipid uptake to respond to changes in environmental conditions. Dependence of cancer cells on lipid synthesis or uptake may be defined by the conditions of the tumour microenvironment. Lipid synthesis contributes to cellular processes linked to tumour progression. Multiple lipid metabolism enzymes have been investigated as potential targets for cancer therapy.