Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) as new target in anticancer therapy

The proposed connection between inflammation and cancer has recently found new molecular confirmations suggesting that the inflammatory circuits expressed at the tumor site are potential targets of antitumor therapy. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) represent the major component of the inflammatory infiltrate of tumors and several lines of evidence suggest that these cells express protumoral functions amenable of therapeutic intervention. These include TAM activation, recruitment, angiogenesis and survival.

Section editor:Martin Braddock – AstraZeneca R&D Charnwood, Loughborough, UK