The Zeb1-Cxcl1 axis impairs the antitumor immune response by inducing M2 macrophage polarization in breast cancer

Abstract

Zeb1, a key epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) regulator, has recently been found to be involved in M2 macrophage polarization in the tumor immune microenvironment, thereby promoting tumor development. However, the underlying mechanism of Zeb1-induced M2 macrophage polarization remains largely unexplored. To identify the potential role of Zeb1 in remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment in breast cancer, we crossed the floxed Zeb1 allele homozygously into PyMT mice to generate PyMT;Zeb1^cKO (MMTV-Cre;PyMT;Zeb1^fl/fl ) mice. We found that the recruitment of M2-type tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) was significantly reduced in tumors from PyMT;Zeb1^cKO mice, and their tumor suppressive effects were weakened. Mechanistically, Zeb1 played a crucial role in transcriptionally promoting the production of Cxcl1 in tumor cells. In turn, Cxcl1 activated the Cxcr2-Jak-Stat3 pathway to induce M2 polarization of TAMs in a paracrine manner, which eventually led to T-cell inactivation and impaired the antitumor immune response in breast cancer. Our results collectively revealed an important role of Zeb1 in remodeling the tumor microenvironment, suggesting a novel therapeutic intervention for the treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Cxcl1; M2 macrophage polarization; Zeb1; antitumor immune response; tumor immune microenvironment.