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. 2014 Jul 3;3(7):e941734.
doi: 10.4161/21624011.2014.941734. eCollection 2014.

TAM macrophages promote growth and metastasis within the cancer ecosystem

Jelani C Zarif  1 , Russell S Taichman  2 , Kenneth J Pienta  3
Affiliations

TAM macrophages promote growth and metastasis within the cancer ecosystem

Jelani C Zarif et al. Oncoimmunology. .

Abstract

Cancer continues to be the major cause of morbidity and death of more than 500,000 people in the US annually. Alternatively activated macrophages (M2 macrophages or TAMs) can facilitate tumor invasiveness and metastasis. As an invasive species in the tumor microenvironment, they provide an ideal therapeutic target.

Keywords: epithelial to mesenchymal transition; metastasis; prostate cancer; tumor associated macrophages.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Prostate Cancer Ecosystem and Diaspora. Prostate cancer epithelial cells (PCaEPI) interact with M2 macrophages and undergo EMT (PCaEMT). The M2 macrophages then aide the PCaEMT cells in in situ invasion and intravasation into the lymphatic system. The PCaEMT cells then extravasate, adapt to the bone microenvironment, and remain dormant in the bone marrow before reversing their cellular characteristics by mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET). As these cells leave dormancy, they increase their proliferative rate, resulting in cancer growth and an osteoblastic reaction in the bone.
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