New links between lipid accumulation and cancer progression.

Individuals with elevated lipid levels are at risk for developing cardiovascular disease as well as cancer. Sterol regulatory element-binding protein transcription factors (SREBPs) are inducers of lipid synthesis. Elevated SREBPs levels are linked to cell proliferation and metastasis. Using biochemical and mouse models of cancer, Zhao et al. have discovered that nuclear SREBP-1a-dependent transcription is activated by pyruvate kinase M2 in cancer cells, which promotes tumor growth. Targeting the lipogenesis pathway may therefore be a promising avenue for cancer treatment.