Wang CD, Zhang BX, Song J. Lipid metabolic reprogramming in colorectal cancer: Insights to mechanisms and therapeutics. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2025; 17(10): 109398 [PMID: 41114120 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i10.109398]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jia Song, MD, Associate Professor, Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China. tjhsongjia@hust.edu.cn
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Gastroenterology & Hepatology
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Review
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (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: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Oct 15, 2025 (publication date) through Oct 26, 2025
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World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology
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1948-5204
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Wang CD, Zhang BX, Song J. Lipid metabolic reprogramming in colorectal cancer: Insights to mechanisms and therapeutics. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2025; 17(10): 109398 [PMID: 41114120 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i10.109398]
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Oct 15, 2025; 17(10): 109398 Published online Oct 15, 2025. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i10.109398
Lipid metabolic reprogramming in colorectal cancer: Insights to mechanisms and therapeutics
Chen-Dong Wang, Bi-Xiang Zhang, Jia Song
Chen-Dong Wang, Jia Song, Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China
Bi-Xiang Zhang, Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Bi-Xiang Zhang and Jia Song.
Author contributions: Song J contributed to conceptualization; Wang CD contributed to writing original draft preparation; Song J, Wang CD and Zhang BX writing review and editing; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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: Jia Song, MD, Associate Professor, Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China. tjhsongjia@hust.edu.cn
Received: May 12, 2025 Revised: July 18, 2025 Accepted: September 9, 2025 Published online: October 15, 2025 Processing time: 158 Days and 5.7 Hours
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) exhibits profound lipid metabolic reprogramming, a hallmark of malignant transformation that supports tumorigenesis, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance. Dysregulated lipid metabolism in CRC involves altered fatty acid synthesis, uptake, oxidation, and cholesterol metabolism, which collectively drive cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, and interactions with the tumor microenvironment (TME). This review synthesizes current insights into lipid metabolic rewiring in CRC, its role in shaping immunosuppressive TME dynamics, and emerging therapeutic strategies targeting lipid pathways.
Core Tip: Lipid metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of colorectal cancer, influencing tumor initiation, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance. Targeting key nodes in lipid synthesis, oxidation, and transport, particularly in combination with immunotherapy, offers a transformative approach to colorectal cancer treatment. While preclinical models highlight the efficacy of metabolic-immune combinatory regimens, future studies should prioritize clinical translation of these strategies while addressing metabolic heterogeneity and microenvironmental crosstalk.
