[Advances in tumor-associated macrophage research driven by single-cell sequencing and spatial omics technologies]

Malignant tumors pose a substantial threat to human health and express a pressing public health concern. Tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) exhibit remarkable heterogeneity and play pivotal roles within the tumor micro-environment (TME). However, the conventional M1/M2 polarization framework fails to capture the full spectrum of their functional complexity. Recent advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial omics technologies have enabled the identification of multiple transcriptionally distinct and functionally specialized TAM subsets across various solid tumors, including glioma, liver cancer, and breast cancer. The discovery and characterization of these novel TAM populations have provided critical insights into the mechanisms underlying tumor progression and therapeutic resistance, thereby uncovering potential therapeutic targets and informing the development of precision immunotherapeutic strategies tailored to specific TAM subpopulations.