OVOL2 inhibits macrophage M2 polarization by regulating IL-10 transcription, and thus inhibits the tumor metastasis by modulating the tumor microenvironment.

Invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells is an important cause of death in breast cancer patients. In the tumor microenvironment, M2 polarization of macrophages can promote the invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. OVOL2 is an evolutionarily conserved transcription regulator, but its effect in macrophages has not been described previously. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of OVOL2 on macrophage polarity and the role of these effects in the tumor metastasis. We found that overexpression of OVOL2 in macrophages significantly inhibited M2 polarization and thus inhibits breast cancer metastasis. We propose a novel mechanism in which OVOL2 inhibits M2 polarization of macrophages and thus reduces their ability to induce invasion and metastasis of breast cancer. By shedding new light on the regulation of metastasis in cancers, our study provides a new strategy for the targeted therapy of cancer.