Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Jun;31(6):1546-1563.
doi: 10.1111/odi.15265. Epub 2025 Jan 23.

Tumour-Associated Macrophages in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Akhilanand Chaurasia  1 , Carel Brigi  2 , Arwa Daghrery  3 , Farah Asa'ad  4 , Francesca Spirito  5 , Akira Hasuike  6 , Patricia González-Alva  7 , Dave D Kojic  8 , Revan Birke Koca Ünsal  9 , Gowri Sivaramakrishnan  10
Affiliations
Review

Tumour-Associated Macrophages in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Akhilanand Chaurasia et al. Oral Dis. 2025 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) are crucial in the progression and treatment response of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). TAMs infiltrate OSCC, adopting an M2-like phenotype that promotes tumour growth, metastasis and immune suppression. The current narrative review explored the roles of TAMs in OSCC, focusing on their impact on the tumour microenvironment, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, immunosuppression and potential therapeutic targeting.

Methods: A comprehensive analysis of the current literature on TAMs in OSCC was conducted. Specifically, we evaluated the biological functions of TAMs, their interactions within the tumour microenvironment, and their influence on disease progression and treatment outcomes.

Results: TAMs contribute to OSCC progression by secreting cytokines, such as IL-10 and TGF-β, that inhibit effector immune cells. They facilitate angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodelling and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which are essential for tumour invasion and metastasis. TAMs support cancer stem cells and recruit regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, enhancing resistance to therapies. Their presence correlates with advanced OSCC stages, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis.

Conclusion: TAMs regulate OSCC progression and therapy resistance. Reprogramming them to an M1-like phenotype or depleting them enhances treatments. Understanding TAM-OSCC interactions is crucial for developing interventions against their tumour-promoting functions and restoring anti-tumour immunity.

Keywords: head and neck neoplasm; neoplasm invasiveness; neoplasm metastasis; oral cancer; phagocytes; tumour microenvironment.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Abu Lila, A. S., H. Kiwada, and T. Ishida. 2013. “The Accelerated Blood Clearance (ABC) Phenomenon: Clinical Challenge and Approaches to Manage.” Journal of Controlled Release 172, no. 1: 38–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2013.07.026.
    1. Allavena, P., A. Sica, G. Solinas, C. Porta, and A. Mantovani. 2008. “The Inflammatory Micro‐Environment in Tumor Progression: The Role of Tumor‐Associated Macrophages.” Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology 66, no. 1: 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.critrevonc.2007.07.004.
    1. Alves, A. M., L. F. Diel, and M. L. Lamers. 2018. “Macrophages and Prognosis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review.” Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine 47, no. 5: 460–467. https://doi.org/10.1111/jop.12643.
    1. Alvey, C. M., K. R. Spinler, J. Irianto, et al. 2017. “SIRPA‐Inhibited, Marrow‐Derived Macrophages Engorge, Accumulate, and Differentiate in Antibody‐Targeted Regression of Solid Tumors.” Current Biology 27, no. 14: 2065–2077. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.005.
    1. Andón, F. T., E. Digifico, A. Maeda, et al. 2017. “Targeting Tumor Associated Macrophages: The New Challenge for Nanomedicine.” Seminars in Immunology 34: 103–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smim.2017.09.004.

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources