FXR activation inhibits CAF tumor-promoting features

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the principal components of tumor microenvironment, play multiple roles in breast cancer onset and progression. While their impact is widely accepted, treatment options to target CAFs in clinical practice were not yet well established. The nuclear receptor superfamily encompasses a druggable class of molecules, expressed in various stroma and parenchymal cell types, with the interesting therapeutic potential to modulate the reactive microenvironment. Having already addressed the oncosuppressive role of the nuclear Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR) in mammary epithelial cancer cells, the present study is aimed to assess the function of FXR in CAFs and evaluate whether its activation may affect their tumor-promoting features.