Macrophages in breast cancer: do involution macrophages account for the poor prognosis of pregnancy-associated breast cancer?
Macrophage influx is associated with negative outcomes for women with breast cancer and has been demonstrated to be required for metastasis of mammary tumors in mouse models. Pregnancy-associated breast cancer is characterized by particularly poor outcomes, however the reasons remain obscure. Recently, post-pregnancy mammary involution has been characterized as having a wound healing signature. We have proposed the involution-hypothesis, which states that the wound healing microenvironment of the involuting gland is tumor promotional. Macrophage influx is one of the prominent features of the involuting gland, identifying the macrophage a potential instigator of tumor progression and a novel target for breast cancer treatment and prevention.
Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80045, USA.
Jenean
J
O'Brien
Pepper
P
Schedin
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000235:genetics
D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases