Tumor Associated Macrophages: Evolutionary Role in Cancer Therapeutics

Abstract

Cancer therapeutics have evolved more significantly during the last two decades with increasing focus on precision medicine. In principle this involves targeted therapies tailored to patients’ cancer-specific molecular attributes. It includes a repertoire of immunomodulating, and apoptotic agents added to cytotoxic chemotherapy, to increase effectiveness. Tumor Associated Macrophages (TAMs) are an interesting potential targets for expanding these therapies. These represent a spectrum of subtypes with anti-inflammatory M1 and pro-tumor M2 being the predominant among all. A large number of studies have established their central role in modulating the tumor microenvironment (TME) and contributing to tumor initiation, and progression. Potential therapeutic strategies that modulate TAMs reduce or block monocyte recruitment, induce apoptosis of TAMs, re-educate TAMs from pro-tumor M2 to anti-tumor M1, among others. This review takes a detailed look at this evolving landscape.