Brown-fat-mediated tumour suppression by cold-altered global metabolism

Abstract Glucose uptake is essential for cancer glycolysis and is involved in non-shivering thermogenesis of adipose tissues 1–6 . Most cancers use glycolysis to harness energy for their infinite growth, invasion and metastasis 2,7,8 . Activation of thermogenic metabolism in brown adipose tissue (BAT) by cold and drugs instigates blood glucose uptake in adipocytes 4,5,9 . However, the functional effects of the global metabolic changes associated with BAT activation on tumour growth are unclear. Here we show that exposure of tumour-bearing mice to cold conditions markedly inhibits the growth of various types of solid tumours, including clinically untreatable cancers such as pancreatic cancers. Mechanistically,…