Targeting stemness pathways modulates macrophage polarization and reprograms the tumor microenvironment.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in cancer progression and therapeutic resistance, with tumor-associated macrophages significantly influencing immune suppression and tumor growth. Colorectal cancers (CRC) classified as Consensus Molecular Subtype 4 (CMS4) and triple-negative breast cancers subsets are particularly characterized by a mesenchymal phenotype, immune exclusion, and extensive macrophage infiltration. This study aimed to investigate how targeting cancer cell stemness with specific inhibitors could modulate macrophage polarization in CRC in vitro and breast cancer in vivo, potentially shifting the immune balance from pro-tumor M2-like to anti-tumor M1-like macrophages.

Methods

We used four stemness inhibitors-salinomycin, SB

SUBMITTER: Butkute A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11950675 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature