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Review
. 2020 Apr;250(5):573-592.
doi: 10.1002/path.5403. Epub 2020 Mar 14.

Biology and therapeutic targeting of tumour-associated macrophages

Tim Beltraminelli  1 , Michele De Palma  1
Affiliations
Review

Biology and therapeutic targeting of tumour-associated macrophages

Tim Beltraminelli et al. J Pathol. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Macrophages sustain tumour progression by facilitating angiogenesis, promoting immunosuppression, and enhancing cancer cell invasion and metastasis. They also modulate tumour response to anti-cancer therapy in pre-clinical models. This knowledge has motivated the development of agents that target tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), some of which have been investigated in early clinical trials. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the biology and therapeutic targeting of TAMs, highlighting opportunities, setbacks, and new challenges that have emerged after a decade of intense translational and clinical research into these multifaceted immune cells. © 2020 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Keywords: clinical trial; macrophage; monocyte; therapeutic targeting; tumour microenvironment.

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