Metabolism of very long chain fatty acids and pathophysiological role of fatty acid elongase -1 (ELOVL1) III cancer cells

<p>Our recent study on colorectal cancer also demonstrated VLCFA alterations in tumor tissue. We found a significant enhancement of FA elongation (which can also be referred to as hyper-elongation) in CRC tissue. Many studies showed that the expression and activity of fatty acid synthase (FASN) in CRC patients, as well as the relation between increased FASN expression and survival of CRC patients. In turn, inhibition of FASN decreased the proliferation of cancer cells. Perhaps enhanced synthesis of FAs may provide substrates for ELOVLs, which results in increased elongation of fatty acids in CRC tissue, as observed in our previous study. Enhanced expression of other ELOVLs has also been reported in other malignancies, including ELOVL6 in squamous cell carcinoma and NASH-associated hepatocellular carcinoma. ELOVL1 was also overexpressed in breast cancer tissue. The underlying mechanism of elevated FA in CRC cells is still to be understood. All the above discussed data indicate the significance of VLCFA in human pathophysiology and the need for in-depth research into the molecular mechanism of the role of VLCFA in the human body and its role in various diseases.</p><p><br /></p>