Inhibition of Fatty Acid Synthesis Induces Apoptosis of Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells.

Cancer cells tend to have a high requirement for lipids, including fatty acids, cholesterol and triglyceride, because of their rapid proliferative rate compared to normal cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of inhibition of lipid synthesis on the proliferation and viability of human pancreatic cancer cells. Of the inhibitors of lipid synthesis that were tested, 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furoic acid (TOFA), which is an inhibitor of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and the fatty acid synthase (FAS) inhibitors cerulenin and irgasan, significantly suppressed the proliferation of MiaPaCa-2 and AsPC-1 cells.