Rivaroxaban targets procoagulant fibroblasts in the tumour microenvironment to reduce breast cancer cell migration and stem cell activity

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer-associated fibroblasts express tissue factor (TF), creating a procoagulant tumour microenvironment. TF activates PAR2 to promote cancer cell proliferation, metastasis and stem cell activity. Rivaroxaban, a licensed oral anticoagulant which inhibits TF-FVIIa-FXa, could be repurposed as an anticancer therapy. We hypothesise that a procoagulant microenvironment will induce breast cancer progression and that this will be inhibited by Rivaroxaban.