Monounsaturated Fatty Acids: Key Regulators of Cell Viability and Intracellular Signaling in Cancer

Cancer cells feature increased macromolecular biosynthesis to support the formation of new organelles and membranes for cell division. In particular, lipids are key macromolecules that comprise cellular membrane components, substrates for energy generation and mediators of inter- and intracellular signaling. The emergence of more sensitive and accurate technology for profiling the “lipidome” of cancer cells has led to unprecedented leaps in understanding the complexity of cancer metabolism, but also highlighted promising therapeutic vulnerabilities. Notably, fatty acids, as lipid building blocks, are critical players in all stages of cancer development and progression and the importance of fatty acid desaturation and its impact on cancer cell biology has been well established. Recent years have seen the reports of new mechanistic insights into the role of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in cancer, as regulators of cell death and lipid-related cellular signaling. This commentary aims to highlight these diverse roles of MUFAs in cancer cells which may yield new directions for therapeutic interventions involving these important fatty acids.