Metabolic programming of tumor associated macrophages in the context of cancer treatment

Thomas Crezee; Katrin Rabold; Lisanne de Jong; Martin Jaeger; Romana T Netea-Maier

doi:10.21037/atm-20-1114

Metabolic programming of tumor associated macrophages in the context of cancer treatment

Ann Transl Med. 2020 Aug;8(16):1028. doi: 10.21037/atm-20-1114.

Authors

Thomas Crezee¹, Katrin Rabold^{2

3

4}, Lisanne de Jong², Martin Jaeger^{2

4

5}, Romana T Netea-Maier⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathology, Radboud University Medical Center and Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
³ Radiotherapy and OncoImmunology Laboratory, Department of Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
⁴ Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 8, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Abstract

Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are important components of the tumor microenvironment (TME). They are characterized by a remarkable functional plasticity, thereby mostly promoting cancer progression. Changes in immune cell metabolism are paramount for this functional adaptation. Here, we review the functional consequences of the metabolic programming of TAMs and the influence of local and systemic targeted therapies on the metabolic characteristics of the TME that shape the functional phenotype of the TAMs. Understanding these metabolic changes within the context of the cross-talk between the different components of the TME including the TAMs and the tumor cells is an essential step that can pave the way towards identifications of ways to improve responses to different treatments, to overcome resistance to treatments, tumor progression and reduce treatment-specific toxicity.

Keywords: Immunotherapy; metabolism; thyroid cancer; tumor associated macrophages; tumor microenvironment (TME).

Publication types

Review