Table 1 Receptors, effects on cancer cells, and activation of signaling pathways by adipokines

Adiponectin

AdipoR1

AdipoR2

Adiponectin basically suppresses cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis of cancers. Adiponectin promotes angiogenesis in breast cancer and other cancers. Adiponectin level correlates with cancer-related cachexia

AMPK

p38 MAPK

PI3K/AKT

WNT

[19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34]

Apelin

Apelin receptor/

APJ/APLNR

Apelin promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells. Apelin promotes angiogenesis

PI3K/AKT

[35,36,37,38,39,40]

Chemerin

CMKLR1

GPR1

Chemerin regulate proliferation, invasion and metastasis differently among cancers derived from different organs

Chemerin strengthens immune system in breast cancer

PI3K/AKT

[41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49]

Leptin

Leptin receptors/

Ob-Rs

Leptin promotes proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and drug resistance of cancer cells. Leptin induces cancer-associated fibroblasts and lymphangiogenesis

JAK/STAT

SAPK/JNK

MEK/ERK1/2

Notch

PI3K/AKT

[50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71]

Omentin

Unknown

Effects of omentin on tumor progression is different depending on the primary sites of cancer or the patient’s health status

JNK

[72,73,74,75,76,77]

Resistin

CAP1

Decorin

ROR1

TLR4

Resistin promotes proliferation, migration and invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and drug resistance of cancer cells. Resistin promotes angiogenesis

JAK/STAT

PI3K/AKT

WNT

[78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88]

Visfatin

Unknown

Visfatin promotes proliferation, invasion, and inhibition of apoptosis of cancer cells

p38 MAPK

MEK/ERK1/2 PI3K/AKT

[89,90,91,92,93,94,95]