Exploring CCL11 in breast cancer - unraveling its anticancer potential and immune modulatory effects involving the Akt-S6 signaling

Sep 21, 2026

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Background: CCL11 is a chemokine implicated in recruiting immune cells to the tumor microenvironment (TME), yet its relationship with expression patterns, patient prognosis, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TILs) remains unclear in breast cancer. Methods: TCGA-based analyses assessed CCL11 expression in invasive breast cancer, including survival curves, Cox regression, GSEA, immune infiltration quantification via CIBERSORT, and links to anticancer drug sensitivity, validated by IHC and qRT-PCR. In vitro assays using CCK-8, plate formation, transwell, and Western blot evaluated anti-tumor efficacy. Results: CCL11 expression was higher in tumor tissues, correlated with longer recurrence-free survival, and associated with immune-related pathways and genes; functional experiments supported its anticancer effects. Conclusion: CCL11 aligns with immune infiltration and suggests potential as a prognostic biomarker.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion

Introduction

Breast cancer and immunotherapy context

Tumor microenvironment, TILs, and chemokines

Figures

CCL11 expression and prognostic analyses

Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology (2024) 150:69 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-023-05600-6](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-023-05600-6) Exploring CCL11 in breast cancer: unraveling its anticancer potential and immune modulatory effects involving the Akt‑S6 signaling Xiao Chen1 · Chenxu Meng1 · Xinyu Wang2 · Zanhui Wu2 · Xinyue Sun1 · Chenyu Sun1 · Lu Zheng1 · Wanwan Li1 · WenJun Jia1 · Tong Tang1 Received: 7 November 2023 / Accepted: 25 December 2023 / Published online: 2 February 2024 © The Author(s) 2024 Abstract Background CCL11, a chemokine known for recruiting immune cells to the tumor microenvironment (TME), has an unclear role in the context of its expression, patient prognosis, and the presence of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TILs) in breast cancer. Methods The expression of CCL11 in invasive breast cancer (BRCA) was analyzed using TCGA database. Survival curve and Cox regression analysis determined the potential of CCL11 as an independent prognostic indicator. GSEA performed functional analysis on genes related to CCL11. CIBERSORT algorithm quantified the infiltration level of immune cells with varying CCL11 expression. Lastly, the correlation between CCL11 expression and anticancer drug sensitivity was examined. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR confirmed CCL11 expression in clinical tissue samples. The anti-tumor efficacy of CCL11 was investigated using CCK-8, plate formation, transwell assay, and Western blot. Results CCL11 expression was elevated in BRCA tumor tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was longer in patients with high expression of CCL11 . Enrichment and co-expression analyses revealed CCL11's association with numerous immune-related signaling pathways and genes. Validation studies confirmed high CCL11 expression in breast cancer tissues. In vitro experiments substantiated CCL11's anticancer effects in BRCA. Conclusion CCL11 expression correlates with immune cell infiltration in breast cancer, indicating its potential as a prognostic biomarker for BRCA. Keywords CCL11 · Breast cancer · Tumor microenvironment · Immune infiltration · Biomarker Introduction Breast cancer represents the most prevalent malignancy among women globally. The 2020 report from the International Cancer Research Center indicates that breast cancer surpasses lung cancer in mortality, rendering it the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide (Sung et al. 2020) . Breast cancer treatment encompasses surgery, * WenJun Jia [jiayan20101129@163.com](jiayan20101129@163.com) * Tong Tang [tt20164@126.com](tt20164@126.com) 1 Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China 2 Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, endocrine therapy, and increasingly, immunotherapy (Yu et al. 2017) . Immunotherapy works by initiating or restoring the body's own anti-tumor immunity via activation or inhibition of pathways directly or indirectly tied to the immune response (Kennedy and Salama 2020) . The tumor microenvironment (TME) is the primary site of this endogenous anti-tumor immunity, where immune cells execute functions that enable effective immunotherapy (Azizi et al. 2018) . CD4 + T cells exert direct cytolytic effects on tumors and bolster innate immune cell activity via IFN-γ production. CD4 + T cells prime dendritic cells (DCs) for effective antigen presentation to CD8 + T cells and secrete IL-2 to maintain CD8 + T cell memory, fostering enduring cytotoxic responses. CD8 + T cells secrete granzyme B, IFNγ, and TNFα, essential for tumor cell eradication (Caserta et al. 2012) . DCs are essential in initiating anti-tumor immune responses by bridging innate and acquired immunity and presenting tumor-derived antigens to T cells (Cunha et al. 2014) . Macrophages are recruited into malignant tumors through chemokines secreted by cancer and

FAQs

Why is CCL11 important in breast cancer research?

CCL11 is a chemokine that recruits immune cells to the tumor microenvironment, but its expression-related roles in prognosis and tumor-infiltrating immune cells in breast cancer are not well defined.

How was CCL11 expression analyzed and validated?

C11L11 expression was analyzed in invasive breast cancer using the TCGA database, followed by survival and Cox regression analyses, GSEA, immune infiltration estimation with CIBERSORT, and correlation with drug sensitivity. CCL11 expression was then confirmed in clinical tissue samples using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR.

What functional evidence supports the anti-tumor role of CCL11?

In vitro experiments showed anti-tumor effects of CCL11 in breast cancer, using CCK-8, plate formation, transwell assays, and Western blot to assess cellular responses and related molecular changes.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Logic