During metastasis, tumour cells must communicate with their microenvironment by secreted soluble factors and extracellular vesicles. Different stromal cell types (e.g. bone marrow-derived cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts) influence the growth and progression of tumours. In recent years, interest has extended to other cell types in the tumour microenvironment such as adipocytes and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Indeed, obesity is becoming pandemic in some developing countries and it is now considered to be a risk factor for cancer progression. However, the true impact of obesity on the metastatic behaviour of tumours is still not yet fully understood. In this 'Perspective' article, we will discuss the potential influence of obesity on tumour metastasis, mainly in melanoma, breast and ovarian cancer. We summarize the main mechanisms involved with special attention to the role of extracellular vesicles in this process. We envisage that besides having a direct impact on tumour cells, obesity systemically preconditions the tumour microenvironment for future metastasis by favouring the formation of pro-inflammatory niches.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Extracellular vesicles and the tumour microenvironment'.
Keywords: cancer; exosomes; extracellular vesicles; metastasis; obesity.
© 2017 The Author(s).