Targeting tumor-associated macrophages by anti-tumor Chinese materia medica.

Abstract

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a key role in all stages of tumorigenesis and tumor progression. TAMs secrete different kinds of cytokines, chemokines, and enzymes to affect the progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy depending on their state of reprogramming. Therapeutic benefit in targeting TAMs suggests that macrophages are attractive targets for cancer treatment. Chinese materia medica (CMM) is an important approach for treating cancer in China and in the Asian region. According to the theory of Chinese medicine (CM) and its practice, some prescriptions of CM regulate the body's internal environment possibly including the remodeling the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here we briefly summarize the pivotal effects of TAMs in shaping the TME and promoting tumorigenesis, invasion, metastasis and immunosuppression. Furthermore, we illustrate the effects and mechanisms of CMM targeting TAMs in antitumor therapy. Finally, we reveal the CMM's dual-regulatory and multi-targeting functions on regulating TAMs, and hopefully, provide the theoretical basis for CMM clinical practice related to cancer therapy.

• Authors: Wei-Ling Pu, Li-Kang Sun, Xiu-Mei Gao, Curzio Rüegg, Muriel Cuendet, Micheal O Hottiger, Kun Zhou, Lin Miao, Yun-Sha Zhang, Margaret Gebauer
• Journal: Chinese journal of integrative medicine (Chin J Integr Med) Vol. 23 Issue 10 Pg. 723-732 (Oct 2017) ISSN: 1993-0402 [Electronic] China
• PMID: 28988387 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Materia Medica

Topics

• Cell Polarity (drug effects)
• Disease Progression
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Macrophages (drug effects, pathology)
• Materia Medica (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)