The role and mechanism of fatty acid oxidation in cancer drug resistance

Abstract Cancer is a leading cause of death globally. While drug treatment is the most commonly used method for cancer therapy, it is often hampered by drug resistance. Consequently, the mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer therapy have become a focus of current research. The mechanisms underlyin...

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Main Authors: Yun Lei, Shuang Cai, Jia-Kui Zhang, Si-Qi Ding, Zhan-He Zhang, Chun-Dong Zhang, Dong-Qiu Dai, Yong-Shuang Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2025-06-01
Series:Cell Death Discovery
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-025-02554-1
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author Yun Lei
Shuang Cai
Jia-Kui Zhang
Si-Qi Ding
Zhan-He Zhang
Chun-Dong Zhang
Dong-Qiu Dai
Yong-Shuang Li
author_facet Yun Lei
Shuang Cai
Jia-Kui Zhang
Si-Qi Ding
Zhan-He Zhang
Chun-Dong Zhang
Dong-Qiu Dai
Yong-Shuang Li
author_sort Yun Lei
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Cancer is a leading cause of death globally. While drug treatment is the most commonly used method for cancer therapy, it is often hampered by drug resistance. Consequently, the mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer therapy have become a focus of current research. The mechanisms underlying cancer drug resistance are complex and may involve genetic mutation, immune escape, and metabolic reprogramming, amongst others. Metabolic reprogramming is an important marker of tumor cells, and an increasing number of studies have shown that cancer drug resistance is correlated with metabolic reprogramming, especially when fatty acid oxidation (FAO) is involved. More importantly, many preclinical studies have shown that when anti-tumor drugs are combined with FAO inhibitors, cancer cell resistance to drugs can be reversed and the effectiveness of tumor therapy is enhanced. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms by which FAO leads to cancer resistance as well as potential targets for inhibition of FAO.
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publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Nature Publishing Group
record_format Article
series Cell Death Discovery
spelling doaj-art-680c35e3918a4e1aa7d4e79c148a72282025-08-20T03:20:59ZengNature Publishing GroupCell Death Discovery2058-77162025-06-0111111510.1038/s41420-025-02554-1The role and mechanism of fatty acid oxidation in cancer drug resistanceYun Lei0Shuang Cai1Jia-Kui Zhang2Si-Qi Ding3Zhan-He Zhang4Chun-Dong Zhang5Dong-Qiu Dai6Yong-Shuang Li7Department of Surgical Oncology and 8th General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical UniversityDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical UniversityDepartment of Surgical Oncology and 8th General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical UniversityDepartment of Surgical Oncology and 8th General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical UniversityDepartment of Surgical Oncology and 8th General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical UniversityDepartment of Surgical Oncology and 8th General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical UniversityDepartment of Surgical Oncology and 8th General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical UniversityDepartment of Surgical Oncology and 8th General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical UniversityAbstract Cancer is a leading cause of death globally. While drug treatment is the most commonly used method for cancer therapy, it is often hampered by drug resistance. Consequently, the mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer therapy have become a focus of current research. The mechanisms underlying cancer drug resistance are complex and may involve genetic mutation, immune escape, and metabolic reprogramming, amongst others. Metabolic reprogramming is an important marker of tumor cells, and an increasing number of studies have shown that cancer drug resistance is correlated with metabolic reprogramming, especially when fatty acid oxidation (FAO) is involved. More importantly, many preclinical studies have shown that when anti-tumor drugs are combined with FAO inhibitors, cancer cell resistance to drugs can be reversed and the effectiveness of tumor therapy is enhanced. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms by which FAO leads to cancer resistance as well as potential targets for inhibition of FAO.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-025-02554-1
spellingShingle Yun Lei
Shuang Cai
Jia-Kui Zhang
Si-Qi Ding
Zhan-He Zhang
Chun-Dong Zhang
Dong-Qiu Dai
Yong-Shuang Li
The role and mechanism of fatty acid oxidation in cancer drug resistance
Cell Death Discovery
title The role and mechanism of fatty acid oxidation in cancer drug resistance
title_full The role and mechanism of fatty acid oxidation in cancer drug resistance
title_fullStr The role and mechanism of fatty acid oxidation in cancer drug resistance
title_full_unstemmed The role and mechanism of fatty acid oxidation in cancer drug resistance
title_short The role and mechanism of fatty acid oxidation in cancer drug resistance
title_sort role and mechanism of fatty acid oxidation in cancer drug resistance
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-025-02554-1
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