Large adipocytes increase vesicle-mediated lipid release and promote breast cancer malignancy - PubMed
5 days ago
- #adipocyte hypertrophy
- #breast cancer
- #lipid metabolism
- Primary adipocytes vary in size, but the functional impact of adipocyte hypertrophy was unclear due to lack of methods to control for cell size.
- Researchers developed methods to culture large and small primary adipocytes from the same depot, enabling size-specific analysis independent of obesity.
- Using transcriptomic, lipidomic, and functional profiling in mouse models and human samples, they found adipocyte size (not body weight) drives distinct cell states.
- Large adipocytes increase extracellular vesicle-mediated lipid release, enhancing lipid uptake, migration, and proliferation of breast cancer cells via fatty acid oxidation.
- Individuals with larger mammary adipocytes show elevated fasting triglycerides, independent of BMI.
- Adipocyte size is a key factor in adipose tissue function, influencing metabolic disease and cancer progression.