ReviewCellular oncology (Dordrecht, Netherlands)2020
The dual role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in breast cancer: molecular insights and therapeutic approaches.
Review in Cellular oncology (Dordrecht, Netherlands), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 292 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
292 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 514 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of moxibustion therapies on immune function in cancer animal models: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of exercise on inflammation in female survivors of nonmetastatic breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2025Pooled it
- Prognostic Relevance of Inflammatory Cytokines Il-6 and TNF-Alpha in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Pooled it
- Exploring the synergistic effects of vitamin D and synbiotics on cytokines profile, and treatment response in breast cancer: a pilot randomized clinical trial.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- A systematic single-cell analysis of enhancer RNAs across human and mouse.Nucleic acids research · 2026Article
- Inflammatory biomarkers and risk of postmenopausal oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer: a case-cohort analysis.British journal of cancer · 2026Article
- Panduratin A Induces Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis and G1-Associated Cell-Cycle Arrest and Enhances TNF-α-Associated Cytotoxicity in NSCLC Cells.Biomolecules · 2026Article
- Myeloid-derived suppressor cells in cancer: biology, regulatory networks and theranostic prospects.Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2026Review
- Current and future therapies for triple-negative breast cancer.Journal of hematology & oncology · 2026Review
- Exploring Molecular Signature and Prognostic Biomarkers in Ovarian Cancer: Insights From Late-Stage, Recurrent, and Metastatic Tumors.Biotechnology and applied biochemistry · 2026Article
- Alkalization of the intracellular pH reprograms TNF-α signaling from inflammatory NF-κB activation to tumoricidal RIP kinase-dependent necroptosis in cancer cells.Acta pharmacologica Sinica · 2026Article
- Copper-based metal-organic frameworks: applications and prospects in cancer diagnosis and therapy.RSC advances · 2026Review
- Integrative single-cell transcriptomics and co-expression network analysis identify SIMALR as a prognostic immune-related lncRNA in breast cancer: in silico analysis and validation.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026Article
- The dual balance of the cytokine network: key messengers of immune activation and triggers of cytokine storm.Biomarker research · 2026Review
- A reduction-sensitive lipophilic dihydroartemisinin prodrug in a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system for treating breast cancer lung metastasis via intestinal lymphatic transport.International journal of pharmaceutics: X · 2026Article
- Fatty Acid Metabolism in Health and Cancer: From Fundamental Mechanisms to Therapeutic Application.MedComm · 2026Review
- Bone Marrow Failure Model Mimics Aplastic Anemia Patients: Single-Cell Landscape of Immune Response Reveals Novel Mechanisms of Immune Imbalance in AA.Cancer medicine · 2026Article
- Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Key Phytochemicals From Humboldtia sanjappae: In Vivo Studies and Molecular Docking With MM-GBSA Analysis.Chemistry & biodiversity · 2026Article
- Association of Polymorphisms of Inflammatory-Relevant Genes with Cancer Risk.Current issues in molecular biology · 2026Article
- Single-cell profiling identifies a pro-tumoral VCAN positive macrophage subset and defines a prognostic signature in glioblastoma.Discover oncology · 2026Article
232 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundBreast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women worldwide and the fifth cause of death among all cancer patients. Breast cancer development is driven by genetic and epigenetic alterations, with the tumor microenvironment (TME) playing an essential role in disease progression and evolution through mechanisms like inflammation promotion. TNF-α is one of the essential pro-inflammatory cytokines found in the TME of breast cancer patients, being secreted both by stromal cells, mainly by tumor-associated macrophages, and by the cancer cells themselves. In this review, we explore the biological and clinical impact of TNF-α in all stages of breast cancer development. First of all, we explore the correlation between TNF-α expression levels at the tumor site or in plasma/serum of breast cancer patients and their respective clinical status and outcome. Secondly, we emphasize the role of TNF-α signaling in both estrogen-positive and -negative breast cancer cells. Thirdly, we underline TNF-α involvement in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis of breast cancer cells, and we point out the contribution of TNF-α to the development of acquired drug resistance.
conclusionsCollectively, these data reveal a pro-tumorigenic role of TNF-α during breast cancer progression and metastasis. We systemize the knowledge regarding TNF-α-related therapies in breast cancer, and we explain how TNF-α may act as both a target and a drug in different breast cancer therapeutic approaches. By corroborating the known molecular effects of TNF-α signaling in breast cancer cells with the results from several preclinical and clinical trials, including TNF-α-related clinical observations, we conclude that the potential of TNF-α in breast cancer therapy promises to be of great interest.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.