FGF4 drives tumor progression in triple-negative breast cancer via IL6/STAT3-mediated macrophage M2 polarization and immune suppression.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study investigates how Fibroblast Growth Factor 4 (FGF4) drives triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) progression by modulating macrophage polarization through the IL6/STAT3 signaling axis, with a focus on immune suppression and tumor microenvironment remodeling.

Methods

TNBC transcriptomic datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were analyzed to identify FGF4-associated pathways using differential gene expression analysis, Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), and immune infiltration profiling via Cell-type Identification By Estimating Relative Subsets Of RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT). Functional annotations (GO/KEGG) highlighted IL6/STAT3 as a key pathway. In vitro models with FGF4-overexpressing or knockdo

SUBMITTER: Zhang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12490082 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature