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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Studying the Effects of Tumor-Secreted Paracrine Ligands on Macrophage Activation using Co-Culture with Permeable Membrane Supports
Published on: November 28, 2019
Macrophages and the hypoxic tumour microenvironment
Helen J Knowles1, Adrian L Harris
1Nuffield Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, UK.
Abstract:
One characteristic of solid tumour tissue is the presence of large numbers of tumour-associated macrophages. These migrate down gradients of chemo-attractive agents to accumulate within hypoxic and / or necrotic areas where they are generally related to poor clinical prognosis. In this review we will discuss the molecular mechanisms that underlie recruitment of macrophages into tumours and their pro-tumourigenic activities with respect to stimulation of angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, tumour cell migration, metastasis and immuno-suppression. The potential of macrophage-related anticancer therapies will be discussed in the light of this phenotype.
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