Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Long-term Live-cell Imaging to Assess Cell Fate in Response to Paclitaxel
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Long-term Live-cell Imaging to Assess Cell Fate in Response to Paclitaxel

Published on: May 14, 2018

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Paclitaxel drives TREM2+ macrophage expansion underlying its inferior therapeutic efficacy compared to Nab-paclitaxel

Yuqi Xing1,2,3, Ruiqi Zhong4,5, Qianchen Li1,2,3

  • 1School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.

Nature Communications
|February 2, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Paclitaxel, not nab-paclitaxel, increases TREM2+ macrophages, promoting breast cancer lung metastasis. Targeting TREM2 may improve paclitaxel efficacy and reduce metastasis.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Paclitaxel and nab-paclitaxel exhibit different clinical efficacy and immune microenvironment effects.
  • The molecular mechanisms underlying these differences are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the differential effects of paclitaxel and nab-paclitaxel on breast cancer progression and the tumor immune microenvironment.
  • To elucidate the role of TREM2 (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2) and associated macrophages in paclitaxel-induced metastasis.

Main Methods:

  • Meta-analysis of patient data.
  • In vivo studies using female mouse models of breast cancer.
  • Molecular analyses including gene expression and cytokine axis investigation.
  • Genetic ablation and antisense oligonucleotide targeting of TREM2.

Main Results:

  • Nab-paclitaxel showed higher response rates than paclitaxel in female breast cancer patients.
  • Paclitaxel, unlike nab-paclitaxel, elevated TREM2 expression in tumor-associated macrophages.
  • Paclitaxel promoted lung metastasis in mice by recruiting TREM2+ macrophages via the ATF3-FGF2 and EGR1-TREM2-EMT axes.
  • TREM2 inhibition suppressed paclitaxel-driven metastasis.

Conclusions:

  • Paclitaxel, but not nab-paclitaxel, stimulates TREM2 expression and expands TREM2+ macrophages.
  • This expansion contributes to paclitaxel-induced breast cancer lung metastasis.
  • Targeting TREM2 presents a potential strategy to enhance paclitaxel therapy and mitigate its metastatic potential.

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