Adipocytes are one of the primary stromal cells in many tissues, and they are considered to play an active role in the tumor microenvironment. Cancer-associated adipocytes (CAAs) are not only found adjacent to cancer cells, but also communicate with cancer cells through releasing various factors that can mediate local and systemic effects. The adipocyte-cancer cell crosstalk leads to phenotypical and functional changes of both cell types, which can further enhance tumor progression. Indeed, obesity, which is associated with an increase in adipose mass and an alteration of adipose tissue, is becoming pandemic in some countries and it is now considered to be an independent risk factor for cancer progression. In this review, we focus on the potential mechanisms involved with special attention to the adipocyte-cancer cell circle in breast cancer. We envisage that besides having a direct impact on tumor cells, CAAs systemically preconditions the tumor microenvironment by favoring anti-tumor immunity. A better understanding of cancer-associated adipocytes and the key molecular events in the adipocyte-cancer cell crosstalk will provide insights into tumor biology and permit the optimization of therapeutic strategies.

中文翻译：

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癌症相关的脂肪细胞：乳腺癌进展的关键因素。

脂肪细胞是许多组织中的主要基质细胞之一，并且被认为在肿瘤微环境中起着积极的作用。与癌症相关的脂肪细胞（CAA）不仅与癌细胞相邻，而且还通过释放各种可介导局部和全身作用的因子与癌细胞进行通讯。脂肪细胞-癌细胞的串扰导致两种细胞类型的表型和功能改变，这可以进一步增强肿瘤的进展。确实，与脂肪增加和脂肪组织改变有关的肥胖症在一些国家正成为大流行病，并且现在被认为是癌症进展的独立危险因素。在这篇综述中，我们集中于潜在的机制，特别关注乳腺癌中的脂肪细胞-癌细胞系。我们设想，除了对肿瘤细胞有直接影响外，CAA还通过支持抗肿瘤免疫来系统地预处理肿瘤微环境。对癌症相关的脂肪细胞和脂肪细胞-癌细胞相互作用中的关键分子事件的更好理解将提供对肿瘤生物学的见识，并可以优化治疗策略。