Journal
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
Volume 11, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.693517
Keywords
tumor-associated macrophages; tumor microenvironment; cancer immunotherapy; macrophages; cancer
Categories
Funding
- National Key Research and Development Program of China [2018YFC0910700, 2016YFB0201702]
- Chenguang Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission [158554]
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Macrophages are crucial innate immune cells that can promote tumor progression in the tumor microenvironment. Targeting tumor-associated macrophages has become a significant focus in cancer therapy due to their association with cancer advancement and poor prognosis.
Macrophages, an important class of innate immune cells that maintain body homeostasis and ward off foreign pathogens, exhibit a high degree of plasticity and play a supportive role in different tissues and organs. Thus, dysfunction of macrophages may contribute to advancement of several diseases, including cancer. Macrophages within the tumor microenvironment are known as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which typically promote cancer cell initiation and proliferation, accelerate angiogenesis, and tame anti-tumor immunity to promote tumor progression and metastasis. Massive infiltration of TAMs or enrichment of TAM-related markers usually indicates cancer progression and a poor prognosis, and consequently tumor immunotherapies targeting TAMs have gained significant attention. Here, we review the interaction between TAMs and cancer cells, discuss the origin, differentiation and phenotype of TAMs, and highlight the role of TAMs in pro-cancer functions such as tumor initiation and development, invasive metastasis, and immunosuppression. Finally, we review therapies targeting TAMs, which are very promising therapeutic strategies for malignant tumors.
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