N-Acylethanolamines in cancer: mechanisms and therapeutic potential of lipid regulators of tumor behavior

N-Acylethanolamines (NAEs) are endogenous bioactive lipids generated from membrane glycerophospholipids, with key members including arachidonoylethanolamide (anandamide, AEA), oleoylethanolamide (OEA), and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA). These molecules engage multiple receptor systems such as cannabinoid (CB) receptors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels to regulate inflammation, apoptosis, and metabolic signaling. Mounting evidence indicates that NAEs also exert multifaceted effects on tumor biology, influencing several hallmarks of cancer including proliferative signaling, angiogenesis, immune modulation, and resistance to cell death. Moreover, emerging congeners such as stearoylethanolamide (SEA) and linoleoylethanolamide (LEA) are gaining recognition for their roles in tumor-associated metabolic reprogramming and the control of inflammatory microenvironments. The enzymatic machinery that governs NAE synthesis (NAPE-PLD) and degradation (including FAAH and NAAA) represents a promising therapeutic axis for modulating NAE signaling in cancer. This review integrates current insights into the mechanistic functions of NAEs in oncogenesis, with a focus on their signaling networks, interaction with the tumor microenvironment, and the translational relevance of targeting NAE pathways in cancer therapy.