Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 13, 2025

In Vitro Assay to Study Tumor-macrophage Interaction
08:36

In Vitro Assay to Study Tumor-macrophage Interaction

Published on: August 1, 2019

7.7K

Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Cancer Immunotherapy

Amy J Petty1, Dwight H Owen2, Yiping Yang3

  • 1Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.

Cancers
|November 13, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are key players in cancer progression, promoting tumor growth, metastasis, and immune evasion. Targeting TAMs offers promising therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are abundant leukocytes in solid tumors, significantly influenced by the tumor microenvironment.
  • TAMs promote tumor growth, metastasis, and are linked to poor patient outcomes across various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review how the tumor microenvironment drives TAM polarization.
  • To evaluate TAM-mediated mechanisms in tumor angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance.
  • To explore TAM-targeting cancer therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on TAMs and the tumor microenvironment.
  • Analysis of mechanisms by which TAMs influence tumor progression.
  • Evaluation of current and emerging therapeutic strategies targeting TAMs.

Main Results:

  • The tumor microenvironment dictates TAM polarization, impacting cancer progression.
  • TAMs actively promote angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, and chemoresistance.
  • Targeting TAMs involves strategies like reducing monocyte recruitment, depletion, reprogramming, and enhancing phagocytosis.

Conclusions:

  • TAMs are critical regulators of the tumor microenvironment and cancer progression.
  • Targeting TAMs represents a viable therapeutic avenue for improving cancer treatment outcomes.
Keywords:
cancercheckpoint inhibitorimmunotherapytumor microenvironmenttumor-associated macrophages (TAM)

More Related Videos

Studying the Effects of Tumor-Secreted Paracrine Ligands on Macrophage Activation using Co-Culture with Permeable Membrane Supports07:44

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

Published on: November 28, 2019

7.7K
Coculture Assays to Study Macrophage and Microglia Stimulation of Glioblastoma Invasion09:23

Coculture Assays to Study Macrophage and Microglia Stimulation of Glioblastoma Invasion

Published on: October 20, 2016

14.3K

Related Concept Videos

Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
726
The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
7.0K
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
7.9K