ArticleNature communications2021
Nicotine promotes breast cancer metastasis by stimulating N2 neutrophils and generating pre-metastatic niche in lung.
Article in Nature communications, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It has been retracted, and should not be counted. Cited by 155 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
155 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 252 citations in OpenAlex.
- Global hotspots and trends in pre-metastatic niche research: a bibliometric analysis(2005-2024).Frontiers in immunology · 2025Pooled it
- Molecular and functional changes in neutrophilic granulocytes induced by nicotine: a systematic review and critical evaluation.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Pooled it
- Different Pattern of Treatment Failure After Chemoradiation Between p16+ and p16- Patients Affected by Oropharyngeal Carcinoma.Head & neck · 2026Article
- The lethal symbiont: exploring the pathophysiology of cancer.Physiological reviews · 2026Review
- Spatial Multiomics Analyses Reveal That Diabetes Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Progression by Stimulating Cholesterol-Induced Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation.Cancer research · 2026Article
- Tumor-Associated Neutrophils in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Predicted by Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Peripheral Blood Markers.Saudi medical journal · 2026Article
- The pre-metastatic niche: mechanisms, heterogeneity, and therapeutic opportunities.Molecular cancer · 2026Review
- Deciphering the CAF‑LCN2 axis: Key to overcoming anti‑PD‑L1 immunotherapy resistance in lung cancer.International journal of molecular medicine · 2026Article
- Spatiotemporal dynamics of tumor-associated neutrophils: bridging the gap between cancer progression and immunotherapy.Molecular cancer · 2026Review
- Salidroside-Based Nanomedicines for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Translation.Breast cancer (Dove Medical Press) · 2026Review
- ZCCHC4 Orchestrates Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis by Regulating Lipid biosynthesis and TMEM97/LCN2/Twist1 Pathway.International journal of biological sciences · 2026Article
- Neutrophils exposed to a cholesterol metabolite secrete extracellular vesicles that promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition and stemness in breast cancer cells.Cancer letters · 2026Article
- Psoriasis intervention by Huai'er (): unveiling novel targetsnetwork pharmacology.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2025Article
- Trilaciclib triggers a neutrophil-related immune response and sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer to anti-PD-1 therapy.Cell reports. Medicine · 2025Article
- Neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps: double-edged swords in cancer pathophysiology and therapy resistance.Cell communication and signaling : CCS · 2025Review
- Targeting tumor-associated neutrophils: A promising strategy in lung cancer immunotherapy.Cancer pathogenesis and therapy · 2025Review
- Salidroside alleviates the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by regulating ferroptosis.Cytotechnology · 2025Article
- Role of Neutrophils in Homeostasis and Diseases.MedComm · 2025Review
- CRISPR/Cas9 screenings reveal the role of STX1A and CDK1 in Cathepsin G entering and killing colorectal cancer cells.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Target neutrophil heterogeneity and plasticity in cancer.Journal of hematology & oncology · 2025Review
95 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Retraction · 2025-05-22Concerns/Issues about Image · Duplication of/in Image · Error in Data · Investigation by Journal/Publisher · · see also: https://pubpeer.com/publications/C5EF6208DF5CB184D61EE597DD6EBB
- Retracted
Authors and funding
10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Smoking has a profound impact on tumor immunity, and nicotine, which is the major addictive component of smoke, is known to promote tumor progression despite being a non-carcinogen. In this study, we demonstrate that chronic exposure of nicotine plays a critical role in the formation of pre-metastatic niche within the lungs by recruiting pro-tumor N2-neutrophils. This pre-metastatic niche promotes the release of STAT3-activated lipocalin 2 (LCN2), a secretory glycoprotein from the N2-neutrophils, and induces mesenchymal-epithelial transition of tumor cells thereby facilitating colonization and metastatic outgrowth. Elevated levels of serum and urine LCN2 is elevated in early-stage breast cancer patients and cancer-free females with smoking history, suggesting that LCN2 serve as a promising prognostic biomarker for predicting increased risk of metastatic disease in female smoker(s). Moreover, natural compound, salidroside effectively abrogates nicotine-induced neutrophil polarization and consequently reduced lung metastasis of hormone receptor-negative breast cancer cells. Our findings suggest a pro-metastatic role of nicotine-induced N2-neutrophils for cancer cell colonization in the lungs and illuminate the therapeutic use of salidroside to enhance the anti-tumor activity of neutrophils in breast cancer patients.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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 OpenQuestion graph.