Cardiometabolic disease and cardio-oncology: Insights from iPSC models and tissue engineering

Heart disease and cancer share common risk factors, genetic predispositions, and metabolic and inflammatory components. Metabolic reprogramming can drive disease progression in both, with cardiometabolic syndrome—marked by obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension—contributing to cancer development. Studies link around 20% of cancer cases to obesity, while elevated glucose and triglyceride levels increase the risk of liver, thyroid, and respiratory cancers. Beyond treatment-related cardiotoxicity, cancer patients often have pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD) at diagnosis, highlighting their bidirectional relationship. Patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer a powerful platform to study these links at a personalized level. iPSC models help explore shared molecular mechanisms, metabolic dysregulation, inflammation, and cardiotoxicity. This review examines emerging themes in cardio-oncology and cardio-metabolism, emphasizing how iPSC-based approaches can reveal disease connections and inform new therapies.