Lara Ece Celebi

1 Introduction Obesity has reached pandemic levels by affecting over 1 billion people, equivalent to one in eight worldwide [1]. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading comorbidities associated with a high body mass index (BMI) and are responsible for two-thirds of obesity-related deaths [2]. Cardiac adipose tissue dysfunction serves as a link between obesity and CVD, mediating the inflammatory and metabolic alterations that increase CVD risk in obese patients [3].

1 Introduction The extracellular matrix (ECM) is the physiologically active, non-cellular component of tissue that provides structural and biochemical support for cellular adhesion, proliferation, and intercellular communications.[1] Growing evidence has identified the ECM as a fundamental mediator in most, if not all, mammalian diseases.[2] As cancer progresses, the ECM undergoes active remodeling and elicits biological cues to influence cancer cell adhesion, proliferation, and migration.[3]...