The Medical Advisor

Can engineered fat cells outcompete tumors for nutrients and shut down cancer growth? New UCSF research suggests they might. Cancer therapy has traditionally focused on killing tumor cells — through chemotherapy, radiation, targeted drugs, or immunotherapy. But scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) are exploring a radically different idea: starving cancer instead of attacking it directly. In a 2025 preclinical study, UCSF researchers demonstrated that genetically engineered fat cells can be used as living metabolic competitors that deprive tumors of the nutrients they need to survive. The findings introduce a novel therapeutic concept that could complement — or in some cases bypass — conventional cancer treatments. “We already routinely remove fat cells with liposuction and put them back via plastic surgery,” said Nadav Ahituv , PhD, director of the UCSF Institute for Human Genetics and professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences. ...