Therapeutic Approaches Targeting Proteins in Tumor-Associated Macrophages and Their Applications in Cancers

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Oncology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are key regulators of tumor progression, promoting proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, stemness, therapeutic resistance, and immune tolerance.
• Traditional anti-cancer therapies often fall short due to the complex, protein-dependent mechanisms employed by TAMs.
• TAMs possess unique transcriptional features alongside canonical protein markers, making these proteins attractive therapeutic targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and summarize current strategies targeting TAM-associated proteins for anti-tumor therapy.
• To explore novel approaches for reducing TAM numbers or inhibiting their pro-tumoral functions.
• To highlight the role of TAM metabolism and immunity in reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of current literature on TAM-associated protein targets and their inhibitors.
• Analysis of recent advances in understanding TAM metabolism and immune functions.
• Exploitation of strategies to repolarize TAMs towards an anti-tumor phenotype.

Main Results:

• Identified TAM-associated proteins as promising targets for novel anti-tumor therapies.
• Demonstrated the efficacy of strategies aimed at reducing TAMs or inhibiting their pro-tumoral functions.
• Highlighted the potential of reprogramming TAMs to reverse tumor immunosuppression.

Conclusions:

• Targeting TAM-associated proteins represents a promising avenue for developing effective anti-cancer treatments.
• Repolarizing TAMs and modulating the tumor microenvironment are crucial for successful anti-tumor immunity.
• Understanding the crosstalk between TAMs, tumor cells, and immune cells is vital for clinical applications.