DMF Activates NRF2 to Inhibit the Pro-Invasion Ability of TAMs in Breast Cancer

Abstract

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) account for more than 50% of the cells in the tumor immune microenvironment of patients with breast cancer. A high TAM density is associated with a poor clinical prognosis. Targeting TAMs is a promising therapeutic strategy because they promote tumor growth, development, and metastasis. In this study, we found that dimethyl formamide (DMF) significantly inhibited the tumor invasion-promoting ability of TAMs in the co-culture system and further showed that DMF functioned by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in TAMs. The orthotopic 4T1 cell inoculation model and the spontaneous mouse mammary tumor virus-polyoma middle tumor-antigen tumor model were used to evaluate the antitumor effect of DMF. The results showed that DMF significantly inhibited tumor metastasis and increased T-cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment. Mechanistically, NRF2 activation was necessary for DMF to exert its function, and DMF can play a role in breast cancer as an anticancer drug targeting TAMs.