Tumor-associated macrophage polarization in the inflammatory tumor microenvironment

Zijuan Zou; Hongfen Lin; Mengsen Li; Bo Lin

doi:10.3389/fonc.2023.1103149

Tumor-associated macrophage polarization in the inflammatory tumor microenvironment

Front Oncol. 2023 Feb 2:13:1103149. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1103149. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Zijuan Zou¹, Hongfen Lin¹, Mengsen Li^{1

2}, Bo Lin¹

Affiliations

¹ Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, Hainan, China.
² Institution of Tumor, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, Hainan, China.

Abstract

The chronic inflammation of tumor continues to recruit TAMs (tumor-associated macrophages) to the TME (tumor microenvironment) and promote polarization. Pro-inflammatory signals polarize macrophages to the M1 phenotype to enhance inflammation against pathogens. Tumor inflammatory development changes the pro-inflammatory response to an anti-inflammatory response, resulting in the alteration of macrophages from M1 to M2 to promote tumor progression. Additionally, hypoxia activates HIF (hypoxia-inducible factors) in the TME, which reprograms macrophages to the M2 phenotype to support tumor development. Here, we discuss the factors that drive phenotypic changes in TAMs in the inflammatory TME, which will help in the development of cancer immunotherapy of macrophages.

Keywords: cancer immunotherapy of macrophages; inflammatory; polarization; tumor microenvironment; tumor-associated macrophages.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Hainan Province Science and Technology Special Fund (Nos. ZDYF2021SHFZ222), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 82060514, 81960519, 81660463, 81560450 and 31560243), The Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province (Nos. 820RC634, 822RC700, 821RC1065, 2019CXTD406, 2019CR204 and 20168263), The Research Project of Take offthe Proclamation and Leadership in Hainan Medical College Natural Science Foundation (No. JBGS202106). Hainan Provincial Association for Science and Technology Program of Youth Science Talent and Academic Innovation (No. QCXM 201922).