Liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality. Hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma are the most common types, and despite numerous advances, therapeutic options still remain poor for these cancer patients. Tumor development and progression strictly depend on a supportive tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the most abundant immune cells population within a tumorigenic liver; they sustain cancer cells’ growth and invasiveness, and their presence is correlated with a poor prognosis. Furthermore, TAM cross-talk with cells and components of the TME promotes immunosuppression, a desmoplastic response, and angiogenesis. In this review, we summarize the latest advances in understanding TAM heterogeneity and function, with a particular focus on TAM modulation of the TME. We also discuss the potential of targeting macrophage subpopulations and how this is now being exploited in current clinical trials for the treatment of liver cancer.
肝癌是癌症相关死亡的主要原因之一。肝细胞癌和胆管癌是最常见的类型，尽管取得了许多进展，但这些癌症患者的治疗选择仍然有限。肿瘤的发生和进展严格依赖于支持性的肿瘤微环境。肿瘤相关巨噬细胞是肿瘤性肝脏中最丰富的免疫细胞群，它们维持癌细胞的生长和侵袭性，其存在与不良预后相关。此外，肿瘤相关巨噬细胞与肿瘤微环境中的细胞和成分相互作用，促进免疫抑制、促纤维化反应和血管生成。在这篇综述中，我们总结了理解肿瘤相关巨噬细胞异质性和功能的最新进展，特别关注肿瘤相关巨噬细胞对肿瘤微环境的调节作用。我们还讨论了靶向巨噬细胞亚群的潜力，以及当前临床试验中如何利用这一策略治疗肝癌。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家