Figure 1.

Adipocyte secreted leptin and interleukin-6 has a paracrine effect on nearby breast cancer cells. Through activation of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, stemness factors SOX2 and OCT4 as well as EMT factors Notch and Wnt are transcribed. This leads to increased cancer cell proliferation and self-renewal entry into EMT and increased expression of leptin receptor OB-R. IL-6: Interleukin-6; OB-R: Leptin receptor; JAK2: Janus kinase 2; STAT3: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3; SOX2: Sex determining region Y-box 2; OCT4: Octamer binding transcription factor 4; EMT: Epithelial mesenchymal transition.