BMI1/NF-κB axis remodeling TAMs phenotype promotes the malignant biological behavior of oral squa-mous cell carcinoma / 实用口腔医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the impact of BMI1 expression in OSCC on the recruitment and differentiation of tumor-associat-ed macrophages(TAMs).Methods:BMI1 expression in 519 cases of OSCC tissues and 44 normal controls was analyzed using online datasets of GEPIA 2.0,and validated in 3 cases of OSCC samples and controls by qRT-PCR and western blotting.The function of BMI1/NF-κB axis during OSCC carcinogenesis was investigated by CCK8 assays,wound healing test and transwell assays.Macrophage phenotypes and recruitment were determined using qRT-PCR and western blotting following coculture of the cells with human monocyte cells(THP-1)by OSCC conditioned medium.Moreover,a cell line-derived xenograft(CDX)model was used to detect the effect of BMI1 on tumor growth in vivo.Results:Compared with the normal tissues and cells,the expression level of BMI1 in OSCC tissues and cells was significantly upregulated.BMI1 knockdown impaired the proliferation,migration,and invasion abilities of OSCC cell lines in NF-κB-dependent manner.Furthermore,OSCC cells with high BMI1 expression inhibited the migration of THP-1 cells,promoted M2-like macrophage polarization through NF-κB pathway in vitro.Xenograft experiments further confirmed the inhibitory effect of BMI1 knockdown on the tumorigenesis ability of OSCC cells in vivo.Conclusion:BMI1 promotes M2-like polarization by regulating NF-κB and may be used as a potential therapeutic target for antitumor immunity.

The up-regulation of miR-221-3p by tumor-associated macrophages may be involved in the metastasis of prostate cancer / 现代泌尿外科杂志

【Objective】 To investigate the mechanism by which the up-regulation of miR-221-3p by tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) may be involved in promoting the malignant metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa). 【Methods】 The microRNAs (miRNAs) expression profiles of 6 cases of metastatic PCa tissues were sequenced and analyzed.The primary TAMs were isolated.The expression of miR-221-3p was determined with qPCR.The miR-221-3p mimic or miR-221-3p inhibitor was transfected into RAW264.7 macrophages in vitro, and co-cultured with human prostate cancer PC3 cells.The proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and migration of PC3 cells were detected with CCK-8, flow cytometry (FCM), Transwell assay, respectively.Expressions of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) related protein factors were determined with Western blot. 【Results】 In the 6 cases of metastatic PCa, hsa-miR-221-3p was significantly up-regulated in TAMs-derived from PCa tissues with positive lymph node metastasis (P<0.05).In the co-cultured system, compared with Mimic-NC group, miR-221-3p mimic group had significantly up-regulated proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT-related protein factors (except E-Cadherin) (P<0.05).Compared with Inhibitor-NC group, miR-221-3p inhibitor group had significantly up-regulated apoptosis rate, but down-regulated proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT-related protein factors (except E-Cadherin) (P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 The miR-221-3p expression up-regulate by TAMs may participate in the malignant metastasis of prostate cancer.

Effect of tumor-associated macrophage exosomes on glycolysis of pancreatic cancer cells by regulating KRAS signal pathway / 局解手术学杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of tumor-associated macrophage exosomes on glycolysis of pancreatic cancer cells and its mechanism.Methods The THP-1 cells were induced to differentiate into the M0 and M2 macrophages,and the exosomes(M0 exo and M2 exo)were extracted.The pancreatic cancer cells CAPAN-2 and ASPC-1 were divided into the PBS group,the M0 exo group,the M2 exo group and the M2 exo+siKRAS group,and co-incubated with equal volumes of PBS,10 μg/mL of M0 exo,10 μg/mL of M2 exo,and transfection of KRAS siRNA and 10 μg/mL of M2 exo,respectively.Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the structure of exosomes;CCK-8 was used to detect the cell proliferation capacity;the kit was used to detect the glucose uptake rate and production level of lactic acid,and Western blot was used to detect the exosome markers expression,KRAS protein expression and ERK1/2 phosphorylation level.Results THP-1 was induced to differentiate into M2 macrophages expressing Arg-1 and IL-10 marker proteins.M0 exo and M2 exo had a bilayer membrane structure with a particle size of about 100 nm and expressed exosomal marker proteins of CD9,CD81,and TSG101.Compared with the PBS group,the cell proliferation,glucose uptake rate,production level of lactic acid of CAPAN-2 and ASPC-1 cells in the M2 exo group increased significantly(P<0.05),and the KRAS expression and ERK1/2 phosphorylation level were significantly increased(P<0.001).Compared with the M2 exo group,the proliferation,glucose uptake rate and production level of lactic acid of CAPAN-2 and ASPC-1 cells in the M2 exo+siKRAS group decreased significantly(P<0.05).Conclusion Tumor-associated macrophage exosomes can promote the glycolysis of pancreatic cancer cells via the activation of KRAS signaling pathway.

Research progress on the role of SHP-2 in tumor-associated macrophages / 中国比较医学杂志

Tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs)are the predominant cell group in the tumor microenvironment(TME)and are the most important regulatory cells of immune system suppression and tumor cell proliferation in TIME.Src homology-2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2(SHP-2)is a non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase that plays an important role in the transmission of signals from the cell surface to the nucleus.SHP-2 is a key intracellular regulatory factor mediating cell proliferation and differentiation and is involved in a variety of growth factor and cytokine signaling pathways linking the cell surface to the nucleus.Recent studies have shown that SHP-2 is a key enzyme in determining the function of TAMs,but because of its variable function,it plays different or even opposite roles in different solid TMEs.This paper reviews the function of SHP-2 in TAMs and related solid tumors to provide a comprehensive reference for tumor immunity and targeted therapy research.

Exploration on Scientific Connotation of Pathogenesis Theory of Gastric Cancer"Spleen Deficiency and Stasis Toxin"Based on the Reprogramming of Glucose Metabolism in Tumor-associated Macrophages / 中国中医药信息杂志

The pathogenesis theory of"spleen deficiency and stasis toxin"in gastric cancer holds that spleen is the source of generation and transformation of qi and blood,that spleen deficiency is the internal basis of disease and throughout the disease.Stasis toxin is based on spleen deficiency,which is the fundamental pathogenesis of gastric cancer.In the pathological process of gastric cancer,a variety of metabolic substances in tumor cells and tumor microenvironment,mainly glucose metabolic reprogramming,undergo metabolic changes to reconstruct the phenotype and function of tumor-related macrophages,which is consistent with the pathogenesis theory of"spleen deficiency and stasis toxin".Therefore,this article focused on the reprogramming of glucose metabolism in tumor microenvironment to drive the phenotypic remodeling of tumor-related macrophages,explored the scientific connotation of the pathogenesis theory of"spleen deficiency and stasis toxin"of gastric cancer,and provided references for the theoretical and clinical research on the treatment of gastric cancer by TCM.

Effect Mechanism of Modified Baitouwengtang Treating Colorectal Cancer by Regulating CSF1R/STING/TBK1 Signaling to Polarize Phenotype of Tumor-associated Macrophages （TAMs） / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the effect of modified Baitouwengtang （MBTWD） on tumor growth and the number of tumor-associated macrophages （TAMs） in tumor tissue of MC38 cell tumor-bearing mice with colorectal cancer and explores whether MBTWD mediates the remodeling of TAM phenotype to play an immunologically antitumor effect. MethodFirstly， The C57BL/6 mouse tumor model grafted subcutaneously was established， and then model mice were classified into a model group， positive control group（3 mg·kg-1）， and MBTWD groups with high and low dosages（23.43、46.86 g·kg-1）， with 10 mice in each group. In addition， 10 healthy mice were set as the blank group， and the changes in body weight， tumor volume， and survival status of mice in each group were observed. Tumor tissue， spleen， and peripheral blood were collected to calculate the tumor volume change， tumor inhibition rate， and spleen mass. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the morphological changes of tumor tissue， and an immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the expression levels of CD4， CD8， and CD206 in tumor tissues of tumor-bearing mice. The secretion levels of transforming growth factor （TGF）-β， interleukin （IL）-6， and chemokine （C-C Motif） ligand 2 （CCL2） in peripheral serum were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Secondly， a co-culture model induced by IL-4 in vitro of MC38 cells and murine monocytic macrophage RAW264.7 cells was established. Cell proliferation and activity assay （CCK-8） was used to detect the inhibitory effect of MBTWD containing serum on cell proliferation. A transwell experiment was used to detect the effect of IL-4-induced M2 macrophages on the invasion of MC38 cells. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD86 on the membrane of M2 macrophages induced by IL-4 with MBTWD containing serum. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the effect of MBTWD containing serum on the mRNA expression levels of M1 macrophage-related polarization factors CD86， nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， and IL-12， as well as M2 macrophage-related polarization factors CD206， CD163， and IL-10 after co-cultivation. Finally， the protein expression levels of colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor （CSF1R）， stimulator of interferon genes （STING）， and TANK binding kinase 1 （TBK1） in tumor tissues of tumor-bearing mice were detected by Western blot. ResultIn vivo experimental results show that compared with the model group， the MBTWD can significantly inhibit the tumor growth of tumor-bearing mice. Immunofluorescence experiments show that the MBTWD can increase the number of CD8+ T cell infiltration in tumor tissue of tumor-bearing mice， reduce the number of CD206+ TAMs infiltration， and down-regulate the secretion levels of cytokines IL-6， TGF-β， and CCL2 in peripheral blood of tumor-bearing mice. The results of in vitro experiments show that the MBTWD containing serum has no obvious inhibitory effect on cell proliferation， but the cell supernatant after co-cultivation with RAW264.7 cells can inhibit the proliferation activity of MC38 cells， and the invasion ability of MC38 cells is enhanced by IL-4-induced M2 macrophages. However， this effect can be inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by the MBTWD containing serum. At the same time， the results of Real-time PCR show that the MBTWD containing serum can up-regulate the mRNA expression levels of M1 macrophage-related polarization factors CD86， iNOS， and IL-12 and down-regulate those of M2 macrophage-related polarization factors CD206， CD163， and IL-10. Flow cytometry results also confirm that the MBTWD containing serum can increase the number of repolarized CD86+ M1 macrophages， indicating that MBTWD can induce M2 macrophages to repolarized M1 macrophages to play an anti-tumor growth role. Finally， Western blot results show that MBTWD can down-regulate the expression of CSF1R protein and up-regulate that of STING and TBK1 proteins in tumor tissue of tumor-bearing mice. ConclusionMBTWD can down-regulate the infiltration number of CD206+ TAMs and increase the infiltration of CD8+ T cells， thereby playing an immunologically antitumor effect on the growth inhibition of colorectal cancer， which may be related to regulating CSF1R signaling and then activating STING/TBK1 signaling pathway to induce phenotypic remodeling of TAMs.

Progressin Tumor-Associated Macrophages in the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer / 中国医学科学院学报

Pancreatic cancer is one of the digestive system tumors with a high degree of malignancy,and most of the patients are diagnosed in advanced stages.Because of limited available therapies,the mortality of this disease remains high.Tumor-associated macrophages(TAM),the main immune cells in the tumor microenvironment,are involved in the regulation of the occurrence and development of pancreatic cancer.Specifically,TAM are involved in the proliferation,invasion,immune escape,and chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer cells,demonstrating potential in the targeted therapy of pancreatic cancer.In this paper,we summarize the TAM-based therapies including consuming TAM,reprogramming TAM,dynamic imaging of TAM with nanoprobes,and regulating the phagocytic ability of TAM for pancreatic cancer,aiming to provide a theoretical basis for developing new therapies for pancreatic cancer.

Prevention and treatment of lung cancer by regulating tumor-associated macrophages with traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

Lung cancer is one of the common malignant tumors in the world, and its incidence and mortality is increasing year by year. Interactions between tumor cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment(TME) affect tumor proliferation, infiltration, and metastasis. Tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs) are prominent components of TME, and they have dual regulation effects on malignant progression of lung cancer. The number, activity, and function of M2 macrophages are related to the poor prognosis of lung cancer, and M2 macrophages participate in tumor angiogenesis and immune escape. It has been proved that traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs) and their active ingredients can enhance the antitumor effects, reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and prolong the survival rates of patients with cancer. This paper summarized the role of TAMs in the lung cancer initiation and progression, explored the molecular mechanism of TCM in regulating the recruitment, polarization phenotype, activity, and expression of related factors and proteins of TAMs, and discussed related signal pathways in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer based on the TCM theory of "reinforcing healthy qi and eliminating pathogen". This paper is expected to provide new ideas for the immunotherapy of targeted TAMs.

The effect of tumor-associated macrophage on proliferation of renal carcinoma cells and related mechanism / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of tumor-associated macrophage(TAM) on proliferation of renal carcinoma cells and its related mechanism.Methods:The model of TAM was established by stimulating human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), bacterial endotoxin (LPS) and interferon-γ (IFN- γ). Then the TAM model was co-cultured with carcinoma cell lines ACHN and 786-O in vitro .The cytokines IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β in TAM supernatant were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). MTT method was used to detect the proliferation of ACHN and 786-O cells treated with supernatant of TAM or TAM/Tocilizumab. Western blot was used to detect lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) expression of both renal cancer cells co-cultured with TAM or TAM/Tocilizumab. The ACHN and 786-O cells with LDHA-overexpression and LDHA-knockdown were cultured in TAM supernatant in vitro. The cell proliferation was detected by MTT and the relative proliferation rate was calculated.Results:THP-1 cells was differentiated into TAM through the treatment of 80 ng/ml PMA combined with 20 ng/ml LPS and 20 ng/ml IFN- γ.The expression rate of CD68, a cell surface marker on TAM, was (36.2 ±4.5)%. When TAM was co-cultured with ACHN cells, the results of ELISA showed that the secretion of IL-6 in the supernatant was significantly elevated compared with that in the supernatant when ACHN cells cultured alone [(138.0 ±12.4) pg/ml and (19.7±4.9) pg/ml], and the secretion of TNF- α [(122.5 ±14.2) pg/ml and (12.6 ±2.3) pg/ml] and IL-1 β [(89.2 ±6.4) pg/ml and (69.2 ±3.5) pg/ml] were also significantly increased. The secretion of IL-6 [(119.2 ±14.8) pg/ml and (17.1 ±3.3) pg/ml], TNF- α [(122.6 ±14.4) pg/ml and (45.7 ±7.2) pg/ml] and IL-1 β [(95.1 ±11.8) pg/ml and (88.2 ±12.7) pg/ml] in the supernatant were also significantly elevated when 786-O cells co-cultured with TAM compared with 786-O cells cultured alone. After treated with the supernatant of TAM for 72 hours, the relative proliferation rates of ACHN and 786-O cells [(128.6 ±21.4)% and (124.2 ±19.7)%] were significantly higher than that of the control group (100.0%). At the same time, the expression of LDHA in ACHN and 786-O cells increased significantly. After 72 hours of treatment with the supernatant of TAM combined with tocilizumab, the relative proliferation rates of ACHN and 786-O cells [(76.5±13.7)% and (74.8±12.5)%] were significantly lower than that of the control group(100.0%), and the expression of LDHA was also significantly decreased at the same time. The relative proliferation rates of ACHN and 786-O cells in LDHA overexpression group [(121.5 ±17.2)% and (122.7±21.6)%]were significantly higher than that in blank-vector-transfection group[(93.3±10.7)% and (89.8±11.2)%], while the relative proliferation rates in LDHA-knockdown group [(61.4±11.2)% and (58.0 ±10.6)% ]were significantly lower than that in blank-vector-transfection group.Conclusions:By secreting IL-6, TAM can up-regulate the expression of LDHA and promote the proliferation of renal cancer cells.

Nanomedicine strategies for remodulating tumor-associated macrophages / 国际生物医学工程杂志

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the main immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, mainly divided into M1 type macrophages which are pro-inflammatory and anti-tumor and M2 type macrophages that are anti-inflammatory and can promote the growth of tumor. M2 macrophages play a crucial role in the occurrence, development and metastasis of tumor, are often closely related to poor prognosis, and have become an important target of tumor immunotherapy. Nanomedicine can achieve specific targeting of TAMs and improve drug safety. Therefore, the use of nanomedicine to regulate TAMs has broad application prospects. Using nanoparticles to deplete TAMs, inhibit their recruitment or reprogram M2 macrophages into M1 macrophages, or using TAMs to deliver nanomedicine has shown great potential for clinical application. In this paper, the role of TAMs-based nanomedicine in tumor immunotherapy was elaborated, and the existing problems and suggestions were discussed.

Potential strategies for targeting tumor-associated macrophages to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors for colorectal cancer / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) plays a key role in tumor progression and metastasis, and their properties are highly dependent on signaling stimuli in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Moreover, TAM, as a major player in tumor-related inflammation, is associated with the prognosis of multiple solid tumors. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) was found to significantly improve the survival prognosis of patients with microsatellite instability/mismatched repair deficient colorectal cancer. However, the efficacy of ICI as monotherapy is limited in the vast majority of CRC patients. Although the exact functions of TAM have not been fully elucidated, targeting TAM as a therapeutic strategy significantly enhances the efficacy of ICI in CRC, and TAM also demonstrates important value as predictive biomarkers for CRC prognosis.

Tumor-associated macrophages affect breast cancer endocrine resistance through FOXM1/Wnt/ β-catenin pathway / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective:To explore the influence of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) on endocrine resistance in breast cancer through the forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) /Wnt/ β-catenin pathway. Methods:Tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells were cultured, THP-1 cells were induced into macrophages (MΦ), and further induced into TAMs. After being cultured in the conditioned medium (CM) of MCF-7 cells for 24 hours, MΦ were defined as MS cells. After being cultured in the CM of MCF-7R cells for 24 hours, MΦ were defined as MR cells. MCF-7 cells, after being cultured in the CM of macrophages for 24 hours, were defined as MCF-7 (MΦ) cells. MCF-7 cells, after being cultured in the CM of MS cells for 24 hours, were defined as MCF-7 (MS) cells. MCF-7 cells, after being cultured in the CM of MR cells for 24 hours, were defined as MCF-7 (MR) cells. Cell viability and invasion ability were evaluated using CCK-8 and Transwell assays. The protein levels of CD163, Wnt1, β-catenin, and FOXM1 in different groups were examined by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Results:Compared to the MS group (mRNA: 1.49±0.12, protein: 1.15±0.12), CD163 expression was higher in the MR group (mRNA: 2.33±0.16, protein 1.52±0.11) ( t=7.28, P=0.002) ( t=3.94, P=0.017), indicating that tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells can induce polarization of more MΦ into TAMs. TAMs increased the expression of FOXM1 in breast cancer cells, which further activated the Wnt/ β-catenin pathway. Compared to the MCF-7 (MΦ) group, the MCF-7 (MS) and MCF-7 (MR) groups showed enhanced cell viability and invasion, with the most significant increase observed in the MCF-7 (MR) group. Compared with MCF-7 (MΦ) cells, the levels of Wnt1, β-catenin, and FOXM1 in MCF-7 (MS) and MCF-7 (MR) cells were significantly increased, with the highest levels observed in the MCF-7 (MR) group with the most TAM polarization. Compared to the MCF-7 group, both the MCF-7 (MR) and MCF-7+pcDNA-FOXM1 groups showed increased levels of Wnt1 and β-catenin, enhanced cell viability and invasion. Compared to the MCF-7 (MR) group, the MCF-7 (MR) + si-FOXM1 group showed reduced levels of Wnt1 and β-catenin, weakened cell viability and invasion. Conclusion:TAMs promote endocrine resistance in breast cancer by upregulating FOXM1 and activating the Wnt/ β-catenin pathway.

Nanoparticles (NPs)-mediated Siglec15 silencing and macrophage repolarization for enhanced cancer immunotherapy

T cell infiltration and proliferation in tumor tissues are the main factors that significantly affect the therapeutic outcomes of cancer immunotherapy. Emerging evidence has shown that interferon-gamma (IFNγ) could enhance CXCL9 secretion from macrophages to recruit T cells, but Siglec15 expressed on TAMs can attenuate T cell proliferation. Therefore, targeted regulation of macrophage function could be a promising strategy to enhance cancer immunotherapy via concurrently promoting the infiltration and proliferation of T cells in tumor tissues. We herein developed reduction-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) made with poly (disulfide amide) (PDSA) and lipid-poly (ethylene glycol) (lipid-PEG) for systemic delivery of Siglec15 siRNA (siSiglec15) and IFNγ for enhanced cancer immunotherapy. After intravenous administration, these cargo-loaded could highly accumulate in the tumor tissues and be efficiently internalized by tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). With the highly concentrated glutathione (GSH) in the cytoplasm to destroy the nanostructure, the loaded IFNγ and siSiglec15 could be rapidly released, which could respectively repolarize macrophage phenotype to enhance CXCL9 secretion for T cell infiltration and silence Siglec15 expression to promote T cell proliferation, leading to significant inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth when combining with the immune checkpoint inhibitor. The strategy developed herein could be used as an effective tool to enhance cancer immunotherapy.

Research Progress on the Role of Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Multiple Myeloma --Review / 中国实验血液学杂志

Bone marrow microenvironment is a highly complex environment surrounding tumor, which plays an important role in the survival, proliferation, drug resistance and migration of multiple myeloma (MM) cells. As an important cellular component in tumor microenvironment, tumor-associated macrophages(TAM) has attracted attention due to its key role in tumor progression and drug resistance. Targeting TAM has shown potential therapeutic value in cancer treatment. In order to clarify the role of macrophages in MM progression, it is necessary to understand the differentiation of TAM and its characteristics of promoting MM. This paper reviews the research progress on how TAM is programmed in MM and the mechanism of TAM promoting tumor development and drug resistance.

Tumor-associated macrophages in the pancreatic cancer microenvironment: potential therapeutic targets / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest gastrointestinal malignancies in the world. Although the standard of treatment has been improved, it is not enough to effectively improve the prognosis of patients. As a major component of tumor microenvironment, tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) plays an important role in the field of tumor development, invasion and metastasis, angiogenesis, chemotherapy resistance and immune escape, and are closely related to poor prognosis of patients. Therefore, in-depth exploration of the complex mechanism of TAM in pancreatic cancer immunotherapy may provide new insights into the regulation of pancreatic cancer microenvironment. This article comprehensively introduces the role and mechanism of TAM in the progression of pancreatic cancer, summarizes the pancreatic cancer treatment strategies for TAM and proposes further optimization schemes, hoping to provide a new direction and reference for TAM-based pancreatic cancer immunotherapy.

Effects of TAMs and CXCL1 on the biological behavior of hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Huh7 / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective@#To investigate the effects CXCL1 derived from TAMs on the progression of HCC by CXCL1 in tumor microenvironment (TME) ．@*Methods @#PMA induced human monocyte (THP-1) to obtain undifferentiated macrophages (M0) and then co-cultured with Huh 7 HCC cells．The biomarkers of macrophage phenotype and mRNA level of HCC were analysed by qRT-PCR. Colony formation assay，cell viability assay and transwell assay were performed to evaluate the biological alteration of HCC cells in TME．Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) molecular genetics were detected using western blot．The levels of CXCL1 in TME were measured by ELISA assay. @*Results @#High CXCL1 expression in HCC patients predicted poor prognosis．Abundant macrophages were found in CXCL1 high expression HCC tissues．In macrophages and HCC co-cultured model，significantly increasing CXCL1 expression was detected in both two cells and the biomarkers of M2 macrophages，CD163 and CD206 were elevated．The growth and migration of HCC cells were promoted．@*Conclusion @#Co-culture of macrophages with HCC cells induces macrophages pro-tumor phenotype and CXCL1 secretion which promotes the progression of HCC.

Research advances in tumor-associated macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma microenvironment / 临床肝胆病杂志

Since there is a lack of obvious clinical symptoms in the early stage of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), most patients have progressed to the advanced stage at the time of confirmed diagnosis. There are limited treatment options for HCC patients who miss the opportunity for surgery, so it is of great importance to find new therapeutic targets. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a group of macrophages existing in the tumor immune microenvironment and affect the malignant behaviors of HCC cells and the state of immune escape within the tumor. This article introduces the origin and classification of TAM, summarizes the role and mechanism of TAMs in vascular proliferation, invasion and metastasis, formation and maintenance of stemness, and anti-tumor immunity in HCC, and briefly describes the current research advances in therapeutic targets for TAM, and it is pointed out that targeting TAM may be a promising direction for clinical treatment.

Shuyuwan Regulates M1/M2 Polarization of Tumor-associated Macrophages to Inhibit Progression of Colorectal Cancer / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the molecular mechanism of Shuyuwan regulating polarization of tumor-associated macrophages （TAMs） to inhibit the progression of colorectal cancer （CRC）. MethodThe nude mouse model of orthotopic transplantation of colon cancer was established. Male BALB/c-nu nude mice （n=28， 4 weeks old） were randomly assigned into 4 groups （n=7）： Model group （normal saline） and low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.725， 2.310， 2.895 g·kg-1·d-1， respectively） Shuyuwan groups. On day 9 after the tumor block was inoculated， the mice were administrated by gavage with corresponding agents at a dose of 15 mL·kg-1 once a day， 6 days a week， and no agent on the 7th day. After two consecutive weeks of intervention， the nude mice were sacrificed and the tumor samples were collected. A part of the colon tissue and the tumor tissue was used to prepare sections， and hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed for pathological observation. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） and arginase-1 （Arg-1） in the tumor tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. The mRNA levels of interleukin-12 （IL-12）， epidermal growth factor （EGF）， and transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1） in the tumor tissue were determined by Real-time polymerase chain reaction （PCR）. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of iNOS， IL-12， EGF， and TGF-β1 in the tumor tissue. ResultCompared with the model group， Shuyuwan inhibited the growth of colon cancer cells in nude mice and caused the tumor cell necrosis in different degrees. The high-dose Shuyuwan group had the strongest inhibitory effect on the growth of tumor cells， which basically lost the normal morphology. Furthermore， Shuyuwan up-regulated the expression of iNOS and IL-12 in M1-type macrophages （P<0.05） and down-regulated the expression of Arg-1， EGF， and TGF-β1 in M2-type macrophages （P<0.05）， which indicated the weakened polarization of macrophages toward M2 type and the enhanced polarization toward M1 type after treatment with Shuyuwan. ConclusionShuyuwan can inhibit the growth of orthotopically transplanted colon tumor by blocking the polarization of TAMs to M2 type and promoting the polarization of TAMs to M1 type.

The Expression and Clinical Correlation of the CD68 Factor in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the expression and clinical characteristics of CD68 in bone marrow and peripheral blood of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).@*METHODS@#The expression of CD68 in bone marrow blast cells was detected by four-color flow cytometry in 50 newly diagnosed AML patients and 23 controls. The expression of CD68 in peripheral blood of 85 newly diagnosed AML patients, 29 remission AML patients and 24 controls was detected by ELISA. The correlation between the expression rate of non-M3 AML bone marrow CD68, peripheral blood CD68 concentration and white blood cell count and other clinical data was compared respectively.@*RESULTS@#The median CD68 expression rate in myeloid leukemia cells of non-M3 AML patients was 19.7%, significantly higher than control (0.2%) (P<0.001). The median concentration of non-M3 CD68 in peripheral blood was 67.97 pg/ml, significantly higher than in control (29.94 pg/ml)（P<0.01）. There was no statistically significant difference in the plasma CD68 concentration of the peripheral blood between the newly diagnosed (45.72 pg/ml) and the remission stage (55.12 pg/ml) of non-M3 AML patients by paired analysis (P>0.05). The results showed that the higher the expression rate of CD68 in bone marrow, the higher the count of white blood cells in peripheral blood, and the lower the count of hemoglobin and platelet in peripheral blood. The higher the plasma concentration of CD68 in peripheral blood, the higher the white blood cell count and the lower the complete remission rate.@*CONCLUSION@#The expression of CD68 both in bone marrow and peripheral blood of patients with non-M3 AML is higher than that of control group. Patients with high expression of CD68 show a low rate of complete remission, suggesting that the expression level of CD68 is correlated with treatment response.

Advances in the Study of Tumor-associated Macrophages in Lung Cancer / 中国肺癌杂志

Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the highest morbidity and mortality in China. Therefore, the research on the treatment of lung cancer is also deepening. At present, there are mainly systemic chemotherapy, targeted therapy for positive driver genes, the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors, anti-tumor angiogenesis therapy and the combination of the different treatment methods mentioned above. The use of these regimens has significantly improved the prognosis of most lung cancer patients, but the prognosis of patients with advanced lung cancer remains unsatisfactory. Recently, more and more attention has been paid to the study of tumor microenvironment (TME). TME consists of immune cells, fibroblasts, vascular endothelial cells and other cellular components as well as related cytokines, which is the basis for the survival and development of tumor cells. As an important immune cell of TME, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) refer to macrophages infiltrating in tumor tissues, which can promote tumor cell proliferation, induce tumor immune tolerance, stimulate tumor angiogenesis, and increase the invasion and metastasis ability of tumor cells. Therefore, targeting TAMs has become a hot topic in lung cancer immunotherapy. In this review, the sources, phenotypes, mechanisms of TAMs in lung cancer, as well as future therapeutic targets of TAMs were reviewed to provide reference for optimal treatment of lung cancer.
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