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.