Post by VIB

💡 Fatty liver drives a more dangerous form of cancer spread. New research from Sarah-Maria Fendt and Yiming Peng-Winkler at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology, published in Nature, reveals that fatty liver disease can actively drive one of the most dangerous forms of colorectal cancer metastasis. The team discovered that fat accumulation in the liver (steatosis) increases the likelihood of developing high-risk ‘replacement’ metastases. Why? Elevated fatty acids in the liver stabilize MYC, a key cancer-driving protein. This rewires cancer cell metabolism to create an environment that helps tumors invade and grow within the liver. The implications are significant: A patient's metabolic health may directly influence cancer progression and liver fat content could help identify patients most likely to benefit from emerging MYC-targeted therapies. As obesity and metabolic diseases continue to rise worldwide, understanding how the body's metabolic environment shapes cancer has never been more important. This study highlights a growing realization in cancer research: to fully understand and effectively treat cancer, we need to look beyond the tumor itself and consider the ecosystem in which it grows. Congratulations to Sarah, first author Yiming (who will soon move to the University of Düsseldorf, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf), and all collaborators on this important advance in our understanding of metastatic colorectal cancer. 👏 ⬇️Read the full press release via the link in comments. #CancerResearch #ColorectalCancer #Metastasis #FattyLiverDisease #CancerBiology #PrecisionMedicine #Metabolism #NatureResearch #VIB #KULeuven