Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Apr 26, 2023; 15(4): 120-135
Published online Apr 26, 2023. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v15.i4.120
Obesity and cancer stem cells: Roles in cancer initiation, progression and therapy resistance
Wen-Jie Xie, Jian Li
Wen-Jie Xie, Jian Li, Department of General Surgery, The Third Hospital of Mianyang, Sichuan Mental Health Center, Mianyang 621000, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Li J designed the review; Li J and Xie WJ reviewed the literature; Xie WJ drafted the manuscript; Li J revised the manuscript; and all authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jian Li, MM, Associate Chief Physician, Surgeon, Department of General Surgery, The Third Hospital of Mianyang, Sichuan Mental Health Center, No. 190 East Section of Jiannan Road, Youxian District, Mianyang 621000, Sichuan Province, China. 654747973@qq.com
Received: November 28, 2022
Peer-review started: November 28, 2022
First decision: January 23, 2023
Revised: January 28, 2023
Accepted: March 16, 2023
Article in press: March 16, 2023
Published online: April 26, 2023
Processing time: 148 Days and 23.7 Hours
Abstract

Obesity, the global pandemic since industrialization, is the number one lifestyle-related risk factor for premature death, which increases the incidence and mortality of various diseases and conditions, including cancer. In recent years, the theory of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which have the capacity for self-renewal, metastasis and treatment resistance, has been bolstered by increasing evidence. However, research on how obesity affects CSCs to facilitate cancer initiation, progression and therapy resistance is still in its infancy, although evidence has already begun to accumulate. Regarding the ever-increasing burden of obesity and obesity-related cancer, it is pertinent to summarize evidence about the effects of obesity on CSCs, as elucidating these effects will contribute to the improvement in the management of obesity-related cancers. In this review, we discuss the association between obesity and CSCs, with a particular focus on how obesity promotes cancer initiation, progression and therapy resistance through CSCs and the mechanisms underlying these effects. In addition, the prospect of preventing cancer and targeting the mechanisms linking obesity and CSCs to reduce cancer risk or to improve the survival of patients with cancer is considered.

Keywords: Obesity; High-fat diet; Cancer stem cells; Carcinogenesis; Metastasis

Core Tip: Obesity increases the incidence and mortality of various cancers; however, research on how obesity affects cancer stem cells (CSCs) is still in its infancy. In this review, we discuss the association between obesity and CSCs, with a particular focus on how obesity promotes cancer initiation, progression and therapy resistance through CSCs and the mechanisms underlying these effects. In addition, the prospect of preventing cancer and targeting the mechanisms linking obesity and CSCs to reduce cancer risk or to improve the survival of patients with cancer is considered.