Lipid Metabolic Alterations in KRAS Mutant Tumors: Unmasking New Vulnerabilities for Cancer Therapy

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jan 16;24(2):1793. doi: 10.3390/ijms24021793.

Abstract

KRAS is one of the most commonly mutated genes, an event that leads to development of highly aggressive and resistant to any type of available therapy tumors. Mutated KRAS drives a complex network of lipid metabolic rearrangements to support the adaptation of cancer cells to harsh environmental conditions and ensure their survival. Because there has been only a little success in the continuous efforts of effectively targeting KRAS-driven tumors, it is of outmost importance to delineate the exact mechanisms of how they get rewired, leading to this distinctive phenotype. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the available data acquired over the last years with regard to the lipid metabolic regulation of KRAS-driven tumors and elucidate their specific characteristics in an attempt to unravel novel therapeutic targets.

Keywords: KRAS-driven tumors; cancer therapy; lipid metabolism; tumor vulnerabilities.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Lipids
  • Mutation
  • Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)* / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)* / metabolism

Substances

  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • Lipids
  • KRAS protein, human

Grants and funding

The APC was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) #310030_212418.