
Lowering Lipids Could Starve Breast Cancer And Slow Tumor Growth, Study Finds
A new study from the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah has revealed that some breast cancers are“addicted” to fat - and starving them of lipids could help stop their growth.
Researchers found that triple-negative breast cancer cells depend heavily on lipids, the fatty molecules that serve as energy sources and building blocks for cells. High levels of these fats, common in people with obesity, appear to accelerate tumor growth, while lowering lipid levels slowed it down in lab mice.
The findings, published in the journal Cancer & Metabolism, highlight how lipid-lowering drugs or diet adjustments might help slow breast cancer - and why high-fat diets such as keto could be risky for patients with obesity.
Breast Cancer's Hidden Fuel Source
“People have underestimated the role of fats and lipids in obesity-related cancer,” said Dr. Keren Hilgendorf, an investigator at Huntsman Cancer Institute.
“Our study shows that breast cancer cells are really addicted to lipids - and that the abundance of lipids in obesity may be one reason these cancers are more aggressive.”
The research focused on hyperlipidemia, a condition where the blood contains abnormally high levels of fats. Using preclinical mouse models, the team showed that even when other signs of obesity, like high blood sugar and insulin, were absent, excess lipids alone made tumors grow faster.
How Lipids Feed Tumors
“Lipids act like building blocks for cells,” explained Dr. Amandine Chaix, co-author of the study.
“If a cell receives a signal to divide and there are plenty of lipids available, tumors can grow much more easily.”
When scientists lowered lipid levels in the mice, tumor growth slowed dramatically - even in cases with high glucose or insulin. The discovery suggests that targeting lipids could deprive tumors of fuel, potentially leading to new treatment options.
What It Means for Patients
According to Dr. Greg Ducker, a co-author of the study, the results could have important implications for how breast cancer patients manage diet and weight:
“If you have high cholesterol or triglyceride levels, lowering lipids - either through medication or a supervised diet plan - could help slow cancer growth,” he said.“However, our results also show that very high-fat diets like keto might have the opposite effect, actually feeding the tumor.”
The researchers emphasized that the findings are based on mouse models, so more studies in humans are needed before drawing clinical conclusions. Still, the results underscore the importance of metabolic health in cancer outcomes.
Next Steps: Targeting Fat to Fight Cancer
The team plans to explore whether anti-lipid drugs can enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and whether similar mechanisms occur in other cancers linked to obesity, such as ovarian and colorectal cancers.
“This study opens the door to new strategies that target the metabolic environment of cancer, not just the tumor itself,” said Hilgendorf.
The study was led by Dr. Keren Hilgendorf, Dr. Amandine Chaix, and Dr. Greg Ducker, with Renan Vieira, a doctoral student at the University of Utah, as first author. It was supported by the National Cancer Institute and the Huntsman Cancer Foundation through multiple NIH/NCI grants.
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