Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 6, 2025
Studying the Effects of Tumor-Secreted Paracrine Ligands on Macrophage Activation using Co-Culture with Permeable Membrane Supports
Published on: November 28, 2019
Pan-cancer analysis reveals tumor-associated macrophage communication in the tumor microenvironment
Linbang Wang1, Tao He1, Jingkun Liu2
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
Background:
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are abundant in the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, their contribution to the immunosuppressive status of the TME remains unclear.
Methods:
We integrated single-cell sequencing and transcriptome data from different tumor types to uncover the molecular features of TAMs. In vitro experiments and prospective clinical tests confirmed the results of these analysis.
Results:
We first detected intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneities between TAM subpopulations and their functions, with CD86+ TAMs playing a crucial role in tumor progression. Next, we focused on the ligand-receptor interactions between TAMs and tumor cells in different TME phenotypes and discovered that aberrant expressions of six hub genes, including FLI1, are involved in this process. A TAM-tumor cell co-culture experiment proved that FLI1 was involved in tumor cell invasion, and FLI1 also showed a unique pattern in patients. Finally, TAMs were discovered to communicate with immune and stromal cells.
Conclusion:
We determined the role of TAMs in the TME by focusing on their communication pattern with other TME components. Additionally, the screening of hub genes revealed potential therapeutic targets.
