Progress in Metabolic Reprogramming of Tumor-associated Macrophages in Tumor Microenvironment / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Occupying more than half of the tumor volume in a variety of solid tumors, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are an important part of the tumor microenvironment (TME) with high plasticity and heterogeneity. In the early stages of tumor development, TAMs mediate antitumor effect through phagocytosis and their antioxidant functions. However, in order to meet the needs of self-renewal and proliferation, malignant tumor cells continuously adjust their metabolic patterns, leading to the accumulation of metabolites such as lactate, reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, arachidonic acid and prostaglandin in the TME, which results in the changes in its inflammatory profiles, thereby altering the metabolism and function of TAMs and ultimately promoting the tumor development. Therefore, further understanding of the metabolism and immune responses of TAMs in the TME during tumor progression is warranted and the investigation may lead to identification of novel potential targets for cancer immunotherapy. This review aims to clarify the close relationship between TAMs metabolism and TME immune response, to reveal the mechanism of tumor immunosuppression produced by TAMs metabolism, and to provide new treatment ideas and approaches for tumor immunotherapy.