The spatial immune landscape predicts outcome and reveals the central role of tumor-associated macrophages in inflammatory breast cancer biology
These results highlight the immunosuppressive nature of the IBC microenvironment and the role of TAMs in promoting an aggressive IBC phenotype. Spatial context and the balance between the immune cells, rather than the overall abundance, was critical in determining outcome. Our findings underscore the importance of considering immune cell localization in prognostic assessment and support further investigation of TAM-targeted therapies in IBC.
Authors
- Cécile Colpaert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9807-0917)
- Peter A. van Dam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9184-7703)
- Fedor Berditchevski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0911-834X)
- Charlotte Rypens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3918-0371)
- Koen M. Marien (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7212-7682)
- Mark Kockx (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9147-2975)
- Christophe Van Berckelaer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4082-9799)
- Gayathri R. Devi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9158-7289)
- François Bertucci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0157-0959)
- Luc Dirix
- Steven Van Laere
- Yannick Waumans
- Peter Vermeulen
- Noémie Missal
- Chloé Vermeulen
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- University of Antwerp (BE)
- GZA Ziekenhuizen Campus Sint-Augustinus (BE)
- Antwerp University Hospital (BE)
- Duke Medical Center (US)
- AZ Turnhout (BE)
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (FR)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- KU Leuven (BE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Breast Cancer Research
- Published
- 2026-01-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-025-02192-6
- Primary Topic
- Immune cells in cancer
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- U.S. Department of Defense
- Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Vlaamse regering
- National Institutes of Health
- National Cancer Institute