Journal
ONCOLOGY LETTERS
Volume 20, Issue 5, Pages -Publisher
SPANDIDOS PUBL LTD
DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.12097
Keywords
tumor-associated macrophages; tumor-associated macrophage-targeted cancer immunotherapy; tumor-associated macrophage phenotypic characteristics; tumor-associated macrophage function characteristics; tumor microenvironment
Categories
Funding
- National Nature Science Foundation of China [31160233]
- Undergraduate Innovation Program at Nanchang University [20190402294]
- Science and Technology Foundation of Jiangxi Province [20142BAB204013]
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Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the most abundant population type of tumor-infiltrating immune cells found in the tumor microenvironment (TME), and are evolutionarily associated with microvessel density in tumor tissues. TAMs can be broadly divided into M1-like and M2-like TAMs, which demonstrate antitumor and pro-tumor activity in the TME, respectively. Studies have indicated that: i) The predominate presence of M2-like TAMs in the TME can result in tumor immunosuppression and chemoresistance; ii) the ratio of M1-like to M2-like TAMs in the TME is positively correlated with better long-term prognosis of patients with cancer; iii) epigenetic silencing, preventing the secretion of M1-like TAM-associated molecules, is an important immune evasion mechanism during tumor progression; and iv) the transformation from M2-like to M1-like TAMs following exposure to specific conditions can result in tumor regression. The present study discusses the molecular events underlying the recruitment of macrophages and their polarization into M1-like or M2-like TAMs, and their differential roles in angiogenesis, angiostasis, invasion, metastasis and immune activity in the TME. This insight may inform the improved design of TAM-targeted cancer immunotherapy. Some of these therapeutic strategies show promising effects; however, challenges remain.
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