Cancer-associated fibroblast-secreted CXCL16 attracts monocytes to promote stroma activation in triple-negative breast cancers

Abstract

A reactive tumour stroma is associated with poor prognosis. Here, the authors show that in patients with triple negative breast cancer resident monocytes activate cancer-associated fibroblasts and induce production of CXCL16, which acts as a monocyte chemoattractant, resulting in an amplificatory feedback loop.