A study published in the June 2025 issue of Cancer Discovery reveals how cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) promote metastatic progression in breast cancer by suppressing natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity. This work was selected for the journal’s Spotlight feature.
The research team demonstrated that aged and BRCA-mutated stromal cells differentiate into CAFs, which express ligands that activate inhibitory receptors on NK cells, thereby diminishing their ability to kill tumor cells. In vivo models confirmed that this CAF-mediated NK cell suppression facilitates metastatic colonization.
This study highlights the critical role of stromal-immune interactions in breast cancer metastasis and identifies the CAF-NK cell axis as a potential therapeutic target.
Source: Cancer Discovery (June 2025), Research Article Link / Spotlight: Spotlight Link
【My Thoughts】
The complex interactions between CAFs and immune cells are emerging as promising targets in cancer therapy. Clarifying how NK cell function is suppressed offers new avenues to complement existing immunotherapies in breast cancer management.
