Different molecular signaling sustaining adiponectin action in breast cancer

• Obesity is a risk factor for several cancers.
• Low adiponectin levels influence mammary carcinogenesis.
• Adiponectin exerts pleiotropic effects in breast cancer cells.
• Adiponectin mediates its action through the activation of different signaling.
• ERα drives adiponectin effects in breast cancer.

Obesity is defined as a chronic and excessive growth of adipose tissue. It is increasingly recognized as an oncogenic factor. Adipose tissue, originally thought as a passive depot for fat metabolism, is now identified as an endocrine organ, secreting a wide array of bioactive molecules known as adipocytokines, which act as key mediators in several obesity-associated diseases. Among these adipocytokines, adiponectin has been proposed as having a key role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes along with other diseases such as obesity-associated malignancies, including breast cancer.New insights into the molecular mechanisms linking adiponectin and mammary tumorigenesis could be useful to identify novel therapeutic approaches to be exploited, particularly in obese women.