title: Are macrophages in tumors good targets for novel therapeutic approaches?
abstract: The development of cancer has been an extensively researched topic over the past few decades. Although great strides have been made in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, there is still much to be learned about cancer's micro-environmental mechanisms that contribute to cancer formation and aggressiveness. Macrophages, lymphocytes which originate from monocytes, are involved in the inflammatory response and often dispersed to areas of infection to fight harmful antigens and mutated cells in tissues. Macrophages have a plethora of roles including tissue development and repair, immune system functions, and inflammation. We discuss various pathways by which macrophages get activated, various approaches that can regulate the function of macrophages, and how these approaches can be helpful in developing new cancer therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Samthosh V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Alahari
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Shengli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Suresh K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Alahari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: angiogenesis; cancer; invasion; macrophages; microenvironment; migration