Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Studying the Effects of Tumor-Secreted Paracrine Ligands on Macrophage Activation using Co-Culture with Permeable Membrane Supports
07:44

Studying the Effects of Tumor-Secreted Paracrine Ligands on Macrophage Activation using Co-Culture with Permeable Membrane Supports

Published on: November 28, 2019

Macrophage regulation of tumor responses to anticancer therapies

Michele De Palma1, Claire E Lewis

  • 1The Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. michele.depalma@epfl.ch

Cancer Cell
|March 23, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a dual role in cancer, influencing treatment efficacy and driving tumor progression. Targeting TAMs offers a promising strategy to enhance current cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are critical regulators of the tumor microenvironment.
  • TAMs influence tumor progression, including angiogenesis, immunosuppression, invasion, and metastasis.
  • The role of TAMs in treatment response is context-dependent, affecting chemotherapy, antibody therapy, and immunotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the biological significance of TAMs in cancer.
  • To discuss the clinical implications of TAMs in various cancer treatments.
  • To highlight novel strategies for targeting TAMs to improve therapeutic efficacy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing research on TAMs.
  • Analysis of TAMs' roles in tumor progression and treatment response.
  • Discussion of emerging therapeutic approaches targeting TAMs.

Main Results:

  • TAMs promote key aspects of tumor progression.
  • TAMs can either enhance or inhibit the effectiveness of diverse cancer treatments.
  • TAMs are involved in tumor repair following radiotherapy and anti-angiogenic treatments.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding TAM biology is crucial for cancer treatment optimization.
  • Targeting TAMs presents a viable strategy to overcome treatment resistance.
  • Novel TAM-targeting therapies hold potential for improving patient outcomes in oncology.

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