Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Key Modulators of Disease Progression in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

With the advent of new therapeutic approaches, there is hope that anticancer treatment will eventually be possible without the use of chemotherapy. Efficient immunotherapeutic options have recently emerged in many cancers, offering a less aggressive approach, with overall better tolerance, making th...

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Main Authors: Corina Joldes, Laura Jimbu, Oana Mesaros, Mihnea Zdrenghea, Bogdan Fetica
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Biomedicines
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/5/1099
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author Corina Joldes
Laura Jimbu
Oana Mesaros
Mihnea Zdrenghea
Bogdan Fetica
author_facet Corina Joldes
Laura Jimbu
Oana Mesaros
Mihnea Zdrenghea
Bogdan Fetica
author_sort Corina Joldes
collection DOAJ
description With the advent of new therapeutic approaches, there is hope that anticancer treatment will eventually be possible without the use of chemotherapy. Efficient immunotherapeutic options have recently emerged in many cancers, offering a less aggressive approach, with overall better tolerance, making them also suitable for frail patients. Response to immunotherapy relies on the availability, functionality, and efficacy of the host’s immune effector mechanisms. One of the key factors determining the efficacy of immunotherapy is the tumor microenvironment, which encompasses various immune effectors, including macrophages, which play a crucial role in regulating immune responses through phagocytosis and antigen presentation. Macrophages are prototypically divided, according to their polarization, into either the pro-inflammatory M1 type or the anti-inflammatory M2 type. In the tumor microenvironment, M2-polarized macrophages, known as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), are the predominant phenotype and are associated with tumor progression. The M1/M2 paradigm contributes to the understanding of tumor progression. Due to the variable microenvironment, the mechanisms regulating TAMs can vary across different cancers. Variations in TAM polarization may account for the different treatment responses in patients with similar diseases. This paper investigates the connection between TAMs, disease progression, and treatment responses in the most frequent solid hematologic cancer, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
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spelling doaj-art-7ba0e00c7e7b4656aab8ae0f01e445ae2025-08-20T01:56:14ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592025-05-01135109910.3390/biomedicines13051099Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Key Modulators of Disease Progression in Diffuse Large B-Cell LymphomaCorina Joldes0Laura Jimbu1Oana Mesaros2Mihnea Zdrenghea3Bogdan Fetica4Department of Hematology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Hematology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Hematology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Hematology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Pathology, Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, 34–36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaWith the advent of new therapeutic approaches, there is hope that anticancer treatment will eventually be possible without the use of chemotherapy. Efficient immunotherapeutic options have recently emerged in many cancers, offering a less aggressive approach, with overall better tolerance, making them also suitable for frail patients. Response to immunotherapy relies on the availability, functionality, and efficacy of the host’s immune effector mechanisms. One of the key factors determining the efficacy of immunotherapy is the tumor microenvironment, which encompasses various immune effectors, including macrophages, which play a crucial role in regulating immune responses through phagocytosis and antigen presentation. Macrophages are prototypically divided, according to their polarization, into either the pro-inflammatory M1 type or the anti-inflammatory M2 type. In the tumor microenvironment, M2-polarized macrophages, known as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), are the predominant phenotype and are associated with tumor progression. The M1/M2 paradigm contributes to the understanding of tumor progression. Due to the variable microenvironment, the mechanisms regulating TAMs can vary across different cancers. Variations in TAM polarization may account for the different treatment responses in patients with similar diseases. This paper investigates the connection between TAMs, disease progression, and treatment responses in the most frequent solid hematologic cancer, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/5/1099macrophage polarizationTAMsnon-Hodgkin lymphoma
spellingShingle Corina Joldes
Laura Jimbu
Oana Mesaros
Mihnea Zdrenghea
Bogdan Fetica
Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Key Modulators of Disease Progression in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Biomedicines
macrophage polarization
TAMs
non-Hodgkin lymphoma
title Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Key Modulators of Disease Progression in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
title_full Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Key Modulators of Disease Progression in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
title_fullStr Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Key Modulators of Disease Progression in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
title_full_unstemmed Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Key Modulators of Disease Progression in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
title_short Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Key Modulators of Disease Progression in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
title_sort tumor associated macrophages as key modulators of disease progression in diffuse large b cell lymphoma
topic macrophage polarization
TAMs
non-Hodgkin lymphoma
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/5/1099
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