Bone marrow microenvironment: roles and therapeutic implications in obesity-associated cancer

Abstract

Obesity is increasing globally and has been closely linked to the initiation and progression of multiple human cancers. These relationships, to a large degree, are mediated through obesity-driven disruption of physiological homeostasis characterized by local and systemic endocrinologic, inflammatory, and metabolic changes. Bone marrow microenvironment (BMME), which evolves during obesity, has been implicated in multiple types of cancer. Growing evidence shows that physiological dysfunction of BMME with altered cellular composition, stromal and immune cell function, and energy metabolism, as well as inflammation and hypoxia, in the context of obesity contributes to cancer initiation and progression. Nonetheless, the mechanisms underlying the obesity–BMME–cancer axis remain elusive. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in understanding the evolution of BMME during obesity, its contributions to cancer initiation and progression, and the implications for cancer therapy.