Stimulation of the invasive abilities of melanoma cells by adipocytes was also associated with an elevated expression of numerous oncogenic proteins in cancer cells like cyclooxygenase 2, cyclin D1, and cell survival proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Mcl-1 (myeloid cell leukemia 1), survivin, and IAP-2 (inhibitor of apoptosis protein-2), as well as with the activation of AKT/mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling pathway (Figure 4) [142]. Here, MCL1 is linked to melanoma.