# Obesity-linked genes may promote prostate cancer among Asian and Hispanic immigrants to North America **Authors:** Dan Mercola PMC · DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1742476 · Frontiers in Public Health · 2026-02-09 ## TL;DR Obesity-related genes may increase prostate cancer risk in Asian and Hispanic immigrants to North America after long-term acculturation. ## Contribution The paper identifies obesity-linked genes and their role in promoting prostate cancer in immigrant populations through proinflammatory mechanisms. ## Key findings - Obesity after 10+ years of acculturation increases prostate cancer risk in immigrant populations. - Genes like Insulin, FTO, and IGF-1 contribute to a proinflammatory profile that promotes cancer progression. - Diet, lifestyle changes, and GLP-1 agonists may help reduce prostate cancer risk in these populations. ## Abstract Immigration of Asians and Hispanics to countries with higher affluence is associated with a marked increase in the incidence of prostate and other cancers. The goal of this review was to understand the genomic mechanism. Cancer incidence, mortality, and comorbidities among Asian and Hispanic immigrants in North America and other affluent countries were systematically reviewed. Obesity after approximately 10 years or more of acculturation has dramatically increased to levels in some reports that exceed those of males born in North America. The key gene activities associated with obesity include Insulin, FTO (fat mass and obesity gene), IGF-1, and others, leading to a proinflammatory gene expression profile leading to paracrine factors that act on PCa cells and the tumor microenvironment to promote epithelial-mesenchymal transformation, increased invasion, migration, and metastasis. Obesity among immigrant populations provides a natural experiment that associates obesity with specific obesity-linked genes to suggest the mechanisms of increased prostate cancer. Genes associated with obesity are active in periprostatic tissue and promote prostate cancer and progression. Evidence indicates that diet, lifestyle changes, and GLP-1 agonists may be effective therapies with the potential to achieve major medical advances. ## Linked entities - **Genes:** FTO (FTO alpha-ketoglutarate dependent dioxygenase) [NCBI Gene 79068], PIN (insulin precursor) [NCBI Gene 100533403], IGF1 (insulin like growth factor 1) [NCBI Gene 3479] - **Chemicals:** GLP-1 (PubChem CID 16133831) - **Diseases:** prostate cancer (MONDO:0005159), obesity (MONDO:0011122) ## Full-text entities - **Genes:** DDIT4 (DNA damage inducible transcript 4) [NCBI Gene 54541] {aka Dig2, REDD-1, REDD1}, STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) [NCBI Gene 6774] {aka ADMIO, ADMIO1, APRF, HIES}, AKT1 (AKT serine/threonine kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 207] {aka AKT, PKB, PKB-ALPHA, PRKBA, RAC, RAC-ALPHA}, EIF5A (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A) [NCBI Gene 1984] {aka EIF-5A, EIF5A1, FABAS, eIF-4D, eIF5AI}, Cxcr6 (C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 6) [NCBI Gene 80901] {aka BONZO, STRL33}, Angptl4 (angiopoietin-like 4) [NCBI Gene 57875] {aka Arp4, Bk89, Fiaf, Hfarp, Ng27, Pgar}, TNF (tumor necrosis factor) [NCBI Gene 7124] {aka DIF, IMD127, TNF-alpha, TNFA, TNFSF2, TNLG1F}, Pparg (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma) [NCBI Gene 19016] {aka Nr1c3, PPAR-gamma, PPAR-gamma2, PPARgamma, PPARgamma2}, INS (insulin) [NCBI Gene 3630] {aka IDDM, IDDM1, IDDM2, ILPR, IRDN, MODY10}, CXCL13 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13) [NCBI Gene 10563] {aka ANGIE, ANGIE2, BCA-1, BCA1, BLC, BLR1L}, AR (androgen receptor) [NCBI Gene 367] {aka AIS, AR8, DHTR, HPCX3, HUMARA, HYSP1}, Cxcl16 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 16) [NCBI Gene 66102] {aka 0910001K24Rik, CXCL16v1, CXCL16v2, SR-PSOX, Zmynd15, b2b498Clo}, Cxcr4 (C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4) [NCBI Gene 12767] {aka CD184, CXC-R4, CXCR-4, Cmkar4, LESTR, PB-CKR}, PLAG1 (PLAG1 zinc finger) [NCBI Gene 5324] {aka PSA, SGPA, SRS4, ZNF912}, IGF1 (insulin like growth factor 1) [NCBI Gene 3479] {aka IGF, IGF-I, IGFI, MGF}, Acta2 (actin alpha 2, smooth muscle, aorta) [NCBI Gene 11475] {aka 0610041G09Rik, Actvs, SMAalpha, SMalphaA, a-SMA, alphaSMA}, POPDC3 (popeye domain cAMP effector 3) [NCBI Gene 64208] {aka LGMDR26, POP3, bA355M14.1}, IL1B (interleukin 1 beta) [NCBI Gene 3553] {aka IL-1, IL1-BETA, IL1F2, IL1beta}, Plin1 (perilipin 1) [NCBI Gene 103968] {aka 6030432J05Rik, Peri, Plin}, GLP1R (glucagon like peptide 1 receptor) [NCBI Gene 2740] {aka GLP-1, GLP-1-R, GLP-1R}, TMPRSS2 (transmembrane serine protease 2) [NCBI Gene 7113] {aka PRSS10}, NFKB1 (nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1) [NCBI Gene 4790] {aka CVID12, EBP-1, KBF1, NF-kB, NF-kB1, NF-kappa-B1}, CXCL8 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8) [NCBI Gene 3576] {aka GCP-1, GCP1, IL8, LECT, LUCT, LYNAP}, Lep (leptin) [NCBI Gene 16846] {aka ob, obese}, THBS4 (thrombospondin 4) [NCBI Gene 7060] {aka TSP-4, TSP4}, SREBF1 (sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1) [NCBI Gene 6720] {aka HMD, IFAP2, SREBP1, bHLHd1}, PPBP (pro-platelet basic protein) [NCBI Gene 5473] {aka B-TG1, Beta-TG, CTAP-III, CTAP3, CTAPIII, CXCL7}, HOXB13 (homeobox B13) [NCBI Gene 10481] {aka HPC9, PSGD}, BMP5 (bone morphogenetic protein 5) [NCBI Gene 653], ANGPT1 (angiopoietin 1) [NCBI Gene 284] {aka AGP1, AGPT, AGPT-1, ANG1, HAE5}, VEGFA (vascular endothelial growth factor A) [NCBI Gene 7422] {aka L-VEGF, MVCD1, VEGF, VPF}, FADS1 (fatty acid desaturase 1) [NCBI Gene 3992] {aka D5D, FADS6, FADSD5, LLCDL1, TU12}, NOS2 (nitric oxide synthase 2) [NCBI Gene 4843] {aka HEP-NOS, INOS, NOS, NOS2A}, ERG (ETS transcription factor ERG) [NCBI Gene 2078] {aka LMPHM14, erg-3, p55}, Fto (FTO alpha-ketoglutarate dependent dioxygenase) [NCBI Gene 26383] {aka mKIAA1752}, ADIPOQ (adiponectin, C1Q and collagen domain containing) [NCBI Gene 9370] {aka ACDC, ACRP30, ADIPQTL1, ADPN, APM-1, APM1}, NOTCH1 (notch receptor 1) [NCBI Gene 4851] {aka AOS5, AOVD1, TAN1, hN1}, Cebpb (CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta) [NCBI Gene 12608] {aka C/EBPbeta, CRP2, IL-6DBP, LAP, LIP, NF-IL6}, Irx3 (Iroquois related homeobox 3) [NCBI Gene 16373], IL6 (interleukin 6) [NCBI Gene 3569] {aka BSF-2, BSF2, CDF, HGF, HSF, IFN-beta-2}, CLIC4 (CLIC family member 4) [NCBI Gene 25932] {aka CLIC4L, H1, MTCLIC, huH1, p64H1}, FASN (fatty acid synthase) [NCBI Gene 2194] {aka FAS, OA-519, SDR27X1}, MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase) [NCBI Gene 2475] {aka FRAP, FRAP1, FRAP2, RAFT1, RAPT1, SKS}, Cxcl12 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12) [NCBI Gene 20315] {aka Pbsf, Scyb12, Sdf1, Tlsf, Tpar1}, TNFSF11 (TNF superfamily member 11) [NCBI Gene 8600] {aka CD254, ODF, OPGL, OPTB2, RANKL, TNLG6B}, PRKAA1 (protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunit alpha 1) [NCBI Gene 5562] {aka AMPK, AMPK alpha 1, AMPKa1}, MSMB (microseminoprotein beta) [NCBI Gene 4477] {aka HPC13, IGBF, MSP, MSPB, PN44, PRPS}, Cxcl1 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1) [NCBI Gene 14825] {aka Fsp, Gro1, KC, Mgsa, N51, Scyb1}, CXCL5 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 5) [NCBI Gene 6374] {aka ENA-78, SCYB5}, PIK3CB (phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit beta) [NCBI Gene 5291] {aka P110BETA, PI3K, PI3KBETA, PIK3C1}, Srebf1 (sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1) [NCBI Gene 20787] {aka ADD1, SREBP1, bHLHd1}, FTO (FTO alpha-ketoglutarate dependent dioxygenase) [NCBI Gene 79068] {aka ALKBH9, BMIQ14, GDFD, IFEX9}, Runx1t1 (RUNX1 translocation partner 1) [NCBI Gene 12395] {aka Cbfa2t1h, ETO, MTG8}, NPY1R (neuropeptide Y receptor Y1) [NCBI Gene 4886] {aka NPY1-R, NPYR}, HSPB8 (heat shock protein family B (small) member 8) [NCBI Gene 26353] {aka CMT2L, DHMN2, E2IG1, H11, HMN2, HMN2A}, LIPE (lipase E, hormone sensitive type) [NCBI Gene 3991] {aka AOMS4, FPLD6, HSL, LHS, REH}, BAP1 (BRCA1 associated deubiquitinase 1) [NCBI Gene 8314] {aka HUCEP-13, KURIS, TPDS1, UBM2, UCHL2, UVM2}, ZNF217 (zinc finger protein 217) [NCBI Gene 7764] {aka ZABC1}, SERPINE1 (serpin family E member 1) [NCBI Gene 5054] {aka PAI, PAI-1, PAI1, PLANH1}, LEP (leptin) [NCBI Gene 3952] {aka LEPD, OB, OBS} - **Diseases:** inflammation (MESH:D007249), Metabolic Syndrome (MESH:D024821), urinary irritation/obstruction (MESH:D001748), PCa (MESH:D011471), cirrhosis (MESH:D005355), respiratory diseases (MESH:D012140), pancreatic cancer (MESH:D010190), NAFLD (MESH:D065626), diabetes and renal failure (MESH:D051437), Cancer (MESH:D009369), diabetes (MESH:D003920), DM (MESH:D009223), weight gain (MESH:D015430), gallbladder cancer (MESH:D005706), Obese (MESH:D009765), CRPC (MESH:D064129), endometrial and gastric cancers (MESH:D013274), overweight (MESH:D050177), BCR (MESH:D012008), bone metastases (MESH:D009362), urologic cancers (MESH:D014571), Mortality (MESH:D003643), Colon Cancer (MESH:D015179), PCA (MESH:C562643), Cardiovascular Disease (MESH:D002318), weight loss (MESH:D015431), insulin resistance (MESH:D007333), benign prostatic hyperplasia (MESH:D011470), type 2 Diabetes (MESH:D003924), breast cancer (MESH:D001943), bladder and kidney (MESH:D007674), aggression (MESH:D010554), urinary incontinence (MESH:D014549), abdominal obesity (MESH:D056128), HIV/AIDS (MESH:D015658), adipocyte hyperplasia (MESH:D006965), bladder cancer (MESH:D001749), prostate carcinogenesis (MESH:D011472) - **Chemicals:** Fat (MESH:D005223), triglycerides (MESH:D014280), PGE2 (MESH:D015232), TXA2 (MESH:D013928), blood sugar (MESH:D001786), 6-methyl-adensoince (-), LTB4 (MESH:D007975), fatty acid (MESH:D005227), carbohydrate (MESH:D002241), lipid (MESH:D008055) - **Species:** Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090], Sus scrofa (pig, species) [taxon 9823], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606] - **Mutations:** G84E, K in 1973 to 4, K in 2009 - **Cell lines:** MEFs — Mus musculus (Mouse), Finite cell line (CVCL_9115) ## Full text _Full body text omitted from this summary view._ Fetch the complete paper as Markdown: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12926505/full.md ## References 148 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12926505/full.md --- Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12926505