Deferoxamine-induced increase in the intracellular iron levels in highly aggressive breast cancer cells leads to increased cell migration by enhancing TNF-α-dependent NF-κB signaling and TGF-β signaling

Deferoxamine (DFO) could deplete cellular iron in nonaggressive breast cancer MCF-7 cells, while DFO significantly increased the intracellular iron of aggressive breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells (A); the MDA-MB-231 cells with the increased intracellular iron level exhibited increases in both mesenchymal markers and cell migration (B, C).159