Oncogenic role of leptin and Notch interleukin-1 leptin crosstalk outcome in cancer

Figure 1 Obesity, leptin, Notch, interleukin-1 and leptin crosstalk outcome, and cancer progression. The complex relationship between obesity, leptin and Notch, IL-1 and leptin crosstalk outcome (NILCO) that occurs in cancer cells is illustrated here. Leptin secreted by adipocytes or cancer cells binds to its receptor, OB-R, on cancer cells. Leptin signaling crosstalks with Notch and IL-1 systems to induce survival, proliferation, invasion, migration, angiogenesis and anti-apoptosis of cancer cells. These leptin actions have also been shown to lead to the progression of breast, endometrial and pancreatic cancer[29,71,85,89]. OB-R: Leptin receptor; IL-1: Interleukin-1.