Targeting fatty acid oxidation: A potential strategy for treating gastrointestinal tumors

Abstract Gastrointestinal cancers including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), gastric cancer (GC), and colorectal cancer (CRC) are common and highly lethal types of cancer worldwide. Metabolic reprogramming plays a critical role in cancer progression and involves metabolic processes such as glucose and lipid metabolism. Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) has a profound impact on cancer, with many genes and cytokines influencing cancer cell initiation, development, metastasis, and resistance by regulating FAO. Additionally, FAO further promotes cancer progression by affecting the tumor microenvironment (TME). The role of FAO in gastrointestinal cancers has garnered increasing attention, and related anticancer drugs are currently being developed.