Abstract
Macrophages are a fundamental part of the innate defense mechanisms, which can promote specific immunity by inducing T cell recruitment and activation. Despite this, their presence within the tumour microenvironment has been associated with enhanced tumour progression and shown to promote cancer cell growth and spread, angiogenesis and immunosuppression. This paradoxical role of macrophages in cancer finds an explanation in their functional plasticity, that may result in the polarized expression of either pro- or anti-tumoural functions. Key players in the setting of their phenotype are the microenvironmental signals to which macrophages are exposed, which selectively tune their functions within a functional spectrum encompassing the M1 and M2 extremes. Here, we discuss recent findings suggesting that targeting tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) polarization may represent a novel therapeutic strategy against cancer.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 349-355 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Seminars in Cancer Biology |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2008 |
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Keywords
- Cancer
- Innate immunity
- Polarized inflammation
- Tumour-associated macrophages
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cancer Research
Cite this
Macrophage polarization in tumour progression. / Sica, Antonio; Larghi, Paola; Mancino, Alessandra; Rubino, Luca; Porta, Chiara; Totaro, Maria Grazia; Rimoldi, Monica; Biswas, Subhra Kumar; Allavena, Paola; Mantovani, Alberto.
In: Seminars in Cancer Biology, Vol. 18, No. 5, 10.2008, p. 349-355.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Macrophage polarization in tumour progression
AU - Sica, Antonio
AU - Larghi, Paola
AU - Mancino, Alessandra
AU - Rubino, Luca
AU - Porta, Chiara
AU - Totaro, Maria Grazia
AU - Rimoldi, Monica
AU - Biswas, Subhra Kumar
AU - Allavena, Paola
AU - Mantovani, Alberto
PY - 2008/10
Y1 - 2008/10
N2 - Macrophages are a fundamental part of the innate defense mechanisms, which can promote specific immunity by inducing T cell recruitment and activation. Despite this, their presence within the tumour microenvironment has been associated with enhanced tumour progression and shown to promote cancer cell growth and spread, angiogenesis and immunosuppression. This paradoxical role of macrophages in cancer finds an explanation in their functional plasticity, that may result in the polarized expression of either pro- or anti-tumoural functions. Key players in the setting of their phenotype are the microenvironmental signals to which macrophages are exposed, which selectively tune their functions within a functional spectrum encompassing the M1 and M2 extremes. Here, we discuss recent findings suggesting that targeting tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) polarization may represent a novel therapeutic strategy against cancer.
AB - Macrophages are a fundamental part of the innate defense mechanisms, which can promote specific immunity by inducing T cell recruitment and activation. Despite this, their presence within the tumour microenvironment has been associated with enhanced tumour progression and shown to promote cancer cell growth and spread, angiogenesis and immunosuppression. This paradoxical role of macrophages in cancer finds an explanation in their functional plasticity, that may result in the polarized expression of either pro- or anti-tumoural functions. Key players in the setting of their phenotype are the microenvironmental signals to which macrophages are exposed, which selectively tune their functions within a functional spectrum encompassing the M1 and M2 extremes. Here, we discuss recent findings suggesting that targeting tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) polarization may represent a novel therapeutic strategy against cancer.
KW - Cancer
KW - Innate immunity
KW - Polarized inflammation
KW - Tumour-associated macrophages
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=48349102876&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=48349102876&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.semcancer.2008.03.004
DO - 10.1016/j.semcancer.2008.03.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 18467122
AN - SCOPUS:48349102876
VL - 18
SP - 349
EP - 355
JO - Seminars in Cancer Biology
JF - Seminars in Cancer Biology
SN - 1044-579X
IS - 5
ER -