Study Finds Fatty Acids as Key Driver of Triple-Negative Tumor Growth

The team conducted preclinical studies using mouse models on high-fat diets as well as models genetically engineered to have hyperlipidemia-high blood lipid levels-without other obesity-related traits like elevated glucose or insulin. This approach allowed them to isolate the specific impact of lipids on cancer growth. Their findings showed that high lipid availability alone accelerated tumor proliferation, while reducing lipids significantly slowed it, even in the presence of metabolic risk factors.

The results suggest that lipid-lowering medications, already in clinical use for cardiovascular conditions, might be repurposed to suppress certain cancer types. The researchers, however, caution that more testing in human models is needed. They further advise that breast cancer patients avoid high-fat diets such as keto, which might unintentionally feed tumor growth.

The team plans to explore whether lipid-lowering drugs can enhance chemotherapy response and to study the mechanisms through which lipids fuel cancer cell proliferation in breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancers.

Reference: Vieira, R. F. L., et al. (2025). Hyperlipidemia drives tumor growth in a mouse model of obesity-accelerated breast cancer growth. Cancer & Metabolism. doi.org/10.1186/s40170-025-00407-0.