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

ABSTRACT

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.