The review was carried out by the Autophagy and Oncological Nutrition Laboratory , a new research group within the Department of Preventive Medicine, Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine at the University of Valencia , led by professor Julio Madrigal-Matute.
The article, whose first author is María Llena-Meler , reviews recent studies showing how disruptions in key metabolic processes - particularly lipid metabolism - may play a common role in the development of both cancer and cardiovascular disease. The corresponding author, doctor Noemí Rotllan , is an expert in this field and conducts her research at the Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona. Alberto Canfrán-Duque , co-author of the article and an expert in atherosclerosis, works at the prestigious Department of Microbiology of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
In this first publication by the group, presented in the form of a review article, the authors provide a critical synthesis of the scientific literature on the pathophysiological mechanisms shared by cancer and cardiovascular disease. The analysis highlights disruptions in lipid metabolism as one of the possible biological links between the two conditions.
"The main contribution of the article is to integrate and review evidence suggesting that cancer and cardiovascular diseases share metabolic bases and key biological mechanisms - something that has become increasingly relevant in biomedical research in recent years", explains Julio Madrigal. This perspective suggests that both diseases can be understood as different manifestations of systemic imbalances involving lipids, inflammation and the immune system.
According to the researcher, this integrative approach opens new lines of investigation towards more precise metabolic and immunological therapies, as well as towards the identification of shared biomarkers. It also reinforces the importance of preventive medicine based on lifestyle. "The accumulated evidence suggests that modifying habits such as diet or physical activity levels may influence biological mechanisms involved in both pathologies", he adds.
Immunometabolism: Mediterranean diet and exercise
The article reviews how dysregulation of lipid metabolism repeatedly appears in both oncology and cardiology. For decades, cancer and cardiovascular diseases have been studied separately, despite being the leading causes of death worldwide: in 2022 they caused 9.7 million and 19.8 million deaths, respectively.
Scientific literature also shows that they share many risk factors, including obesity, sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets. They also share biological processes, such as chronic inflammation, oxidative stress and various alterations in lipid metabolism, together with complex interactions between the immune system and adipose tissue.
In this context, several studies analysed in the review indicate that lifestyle interventions - such as the Mediterranean diet, regular exercise or calorie restriction - can reduce systemic inflammation and improve lipid profiles, which may have beneficial effects in both diseases.
This convergence has given rise to the concept of immunometabolism, an emerging field that brings together oncology and cardiology by examining how metabolism, inflammation and genetics function as an interconnected network.
A shared biological network
Among the points of convergence identified in this biological network are lipids. These molecules perform essential functions in the body: they form part of cell membranes, store energy and participate in cellular signalling processes. However, their excess or dysregulation may contribute to the development of disease.
In cancer, tumour cells can reprogramme their lipid metabolism to promote growth and obtain energy. In cardiovascular disease, excess cholesterol and triglycerides contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques - fatty deposits that accumulate on the inner walls of the arteries, narrowing and hardening them.
Adipose tissue also plays a significant role. Far from being merely an energy storage site, it acts as an endocrine organ that produces hormones and cytokines. When it expands excessively, as occurs in obesity, it can enter a state of stress and chronic inflammation that attracts immune cells and promotes the release of pro-inflammatory molecules. This environment has been linked to insulin resistance, vascular damage and tumour growth.
Another cross-cutting factor is chronic inflammation. In arteries, it contributes to the development of atherosclerosis, while in tumours it promotes processes such as cell proliferation, angiogenesis and immune evasion. In both contexts, macrophages - key cells of the immune system - play an important role, and their function can become altered under persistent inflammatory conditions.
The review also addresses the role of non-coding RNAs, molecules of genetic material that do not produce proteins but regulate which genes are activated or silenced in cells. These molecules act as regulatory nodes that integrate metabolic and immune signals and control processes such as cell proliferation, inflammation and cell death. Alterations in these RNAs have been associated with both cancer and atherosclerosis, making them potential shared biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
According to the research group’s director, Julio Madrigal-Matute , "this work reviews emerging evidence from different fields pointing to a metabolic connection between cancer and cardiovascular disease". He also notes that this line of research is already being incorporated into the group’s doctoral theses, with the aim of promoting an interdisciplinary approach linking nutrition, metabolism, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Article reference: Llena-Meler M., Canfrán-Duque A., Madrigal-Matute J., Rotllan N. "Lipid metabolic alterations in cancer: Common pathophysiology with cardiovascular disease". Seminars in Cancer Biology. 2026 Feb; 119:83-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcancer.2026.01.003
