Tumor-Associated Macrophages: Polarization, Immunoregulation, and Immunotherapy

Tumor-associated macrophages’ (TAMs) origin, polarization, and dynamic interaction in the tumor microenvironment (TME) influence cancer development. They are essential for homeostasis, monitoring, and immune protection. Cells from bone marrow or embryonic progenitors dynamically polarize into pro- o...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Abdullah Farhan Saeed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Cells
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/10/741
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849711793583161344
author Abdullah Farhan Saeed
author_facet Abdullah Farhan Saeed
author_sort Abdullah Farhan Saeed
collection DOAJ
description Tumor-associated macrophages’ (TAMs) origin, polarization, and dynamic interaction in the tumor microenvironment (TME) influence cancer development. They are essential for homeostasis, monitoring, and immune protection. Cells from bone marrow or embryonic progenitors dynamically polarize into pro- or anti-tumor M2 or M1 phenotypes based on cytokines and metabolic signals. Recent advances in TAM heterogeneity, polarization, characterization, immunological responses, and therapy are described here. The manuscript details TAM functions and their role in resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Similarly, TAM-targeted approaches, such as CSF-1R inhibition or PI3Kγ-driven reprogramming, are discussed to address anti-tumor immunity suppression. Furthermore, innovative biomarkers and combination therapy may enhance TAM-centric cancer therapies. It also stresses the relevance of this distinct immune cell in human health and disease, which could impact future research and therapies.
format Article
id doaj-art-77a93d1d439d459abbde82c03b70778b
institution DOAJ
issn 2073-4409
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Cells
spelling doaj-art-77a93d1d439d459abbde82c03b70778b2025-08-20T03:14:32ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092025-05-01141074110.3390/cells14100741Tumor-Associated Macrophages: Polarization, Immunoregulation, and ImmunotherapyAbdullah Farhan Saeed0Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USATumor-associated macrophages’ (TAMs) origin, polarization, and dynamic interaction in the tumor microenvironment (TME) influence cancer development. They are essential for homeostasis, monitoring, and immune protection. Cells from bone marrow or embryonic progenitors dynamically polarize into pro- or anti-tumor M2 or M1 phenotypes based on cytokines and metabolic signals. Recent advances in TAM heterogeneity, polarization, characterization, immunological responses, and therapy are described here. The manuscript details TAM functions and their role in resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Similarly, TAM-targeted approaches, such as CSF-1R inhibition or PI3Kγ-driven reprogramming, are discussed to address anti-tumor immunity suppression. Furthermore, innovative biomarkers and combination therapy may enhance TAM-centric cancer therapies. It also stresses the relevance of this distinct immune cell in human health and disease, which could impact future research and therapies.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/10/741macrophagepolarizationTAMimmune regulationimmune checkpointcancer
spellingShingle Abdullah Farhan Saeed
Tumor-Associated Macrophages: Polarization, Immunoregulation, and Immunotherapy
Cells
macrophage
polarization
TAM
immune regulation
immune checkpoint
cancer
title Tumor-Associated Macrophages: Polarization, Immunoregulation, and Immunotherapy
title_full Tumor-Associated Macrophages: Polarization, Immunoregulation, and Immunotherapy
title_fullStr Tumor-Associated Macrophages: Polarization, Immunoregulation, and Immunotherapy
title_full_unstemmed Tumor-Associated Macrophages: Polarization, Immunoregulation, and Immunotherapy
title_short Tumor-Associated Macrophages: Polarization, Immunoregulation, and Immunotherapy
title_sort tumor associated macrophages polarization immunoregulation and immunotherapy
topic macrophage
polarization
TAM
immune regulation
immune checkpoint
cancer
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/10/741
work_keys_str_mv AT abdullahfarhansaeed tumorassociatedmacrophagespolarizationimmunoregulationandimmunotherapy