Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are recruited from the circulation to the tumor site, and can undergo a spectrum of phenotypic changes, with two contrasting activation states described in the literature: the M1 and M2 phenotypes. We previously identified a population of TAMs that express proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and are associated with high grade, hormone receptor negative ...

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) promote tumor development, invasion, and dissemination by various mechanisms. In this study, using an orthotopic colorectal cancer (CRC) model, we found that monocyte-derived TAMs advance tumor development by the remodeling of its extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and structure. Unbiased transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of (a) TAM-abundant and -defi...

Tumor-associated macrophages can account for up to 50% of the tumor mass in breast cancer patients and high TAM density is associated with poor clinical prognosis. Because TAMs enhance tumor growth, development, and metastatic potential, redirection of TAM activation may have significant therapeutic benefit. Our studies in primary human macrophages and murine breast TAMs suggest that the synthe...

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) play key roles in the tumor immune suppressive network and tumor progression. However, precise roles of programmed death-1 (PD-1) in immunological functions of MDSCs and TAMs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have not been clearly elucidated. In the present study, we show that PD-1 and PD-L1 levels w...

The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β/δ (PPARβ/δ) is a lipid ligand-inducible transcription factor associated with macrophage polarization. However, its function in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) has not been investigated to date. Here, we report the PPARβ/δ-regulated transcriptome and cistrome for TAMs from ovarian carcinoma patients. Comparison with monocyte-d...

Considerable evidence has implied that α7 nicotinic receptor subtypes play an important role in chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain signaling. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of endogenous α7nAChR signaling in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in human colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis and prognosis. α7nAChR expression in primary tumor cells and adjacent stroma c...

The therapeutic success of immunotherapy requires specific alterations of the tumor microenvironment and/or the inhibition of tumor-elicited immunosuppression. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a major component of the tumor microenvironment. We have recently shown that modulating TAMs dramatically augments the efficacy of immunotherapy. TAM-activating agents should hence be considered as...

BACKGROUND Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a tumorigenic role related to advanced staging and poor prognosis in many human cancers including thyroid cancers. Yet, a functional role of TAMs in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has not been established. The aim of this study was to investigate TAM expression in human PTC with lymph node (LN) metastasis. METHODS Thirty-six patients who ...

BACKGROUND Thioredoxin 80 (Trx80) is an 80 amino acid natural cleavage product of Trx, produced primarily by monocytes. Trx80 induces differentiation of human monocytes into a novel cell type, named Trx80-activated-monocytes (TAMs). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In this investigation we present evidence for a role of TAMs in the control of intracellular bacterial infections. As model pathogens we have c...

Thioredoxin truncated at its carboxy terminal (Trx80) acts as a cytokine that stimulates monocytes and eosinophils. In the present study, Trx80 was shown to induce differentiation of human CD14(+) monocytes into a cell type not described previously, which we designate as Trx80-activated monocytes (TAMs). TAMs resemble immature dendritic cells (iDCs) generated in the presence of granulocyte-macr...