Landscape of the oncogenic role of fatty acid synthase in human tumors.

BACKGROUND

Identifying a unique and common regulatory pathway that drives tumorigenesis in cancers is crucial to foster the development of effective treatments. However, a systematic analysis of fatty acid synthase across pan-cancers has not been carried out.

METHODS

We investigated the oncogenic roles of fatty acid synthase in 33 cancers based on the cancer genome atlas and gene expression omnibus.

RESULTS

Fatty acid synthase is profoundly expressed in most cancers and is an important factor in predicting the outcome of cancer patients. Further, the level of S207 phosphorylation was found to be improved in several neoplasms (e.g., colon cancer). Fatty acid synthase expression is related to tumor-infiltrating immune cells in tumors (e.g., CD8+ T-cell infiltration level in cervical squamous cell carcinoma). Moreover, hormone receptor binding- and fatty acid metabolic process-associated pathways are involved in the functional mechanisms of fatty acid synthase.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a complete understanding of the oncogenic role of fatty acid synthase in human tumors.