Tumor-Immune Cell Crosstalk Drives Immune Cell Reprogramming Towards a Pro-Tumor Proliferative State Involving STAT3 Activation.

ABSTRACT: Background/Objectives: Tumor-induced immune reprogramming is increasingly recognized as a key mechanism by which cancers evade surveillance and promote disease progression. The interaction between cancer and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) can drive phenotypic and functional changes in immune populations, facilitating metastasis and immune evasion. Methods: In this study, we used co-culture models to expose THP1 monocytes to triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells, MDA-MB-231 and BT-549, either directly or indirectly via tumor-conditioned media, to mimic tumor-immune cell communication. Transcriptomic and pathway analyses revealed that cancer-exposed monocytes adopt a reprogrammed phenotype marked by activation of pro-tumorigenic signaling pathways, en

SUBMITTER: Norek K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12784678 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature