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MACROPHAGES, MORE THAN JUST SCAVENGERS: THEIR ROLE IN BREAST DEVELOPMENT AND CANCER
Author(s) -
Gyorki David E.,
Lindeman Geoffrey J.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
anz journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.426
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 1445-1433
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.2008.04531.x
Subject(s) - medicine , breast cancer , cancer , oncology
Macrophages, derived from circulating monocytes, are located within virtually all adult tissues. There, these specialized cells adopt tissue‐specific functions that are important for normal tissue homeostasis and response to physiological challenges. Increasing evidence suggests that macrophages play a role in the normal development of certain organs, such as the breast. Intriguingly, macrophages are often found in the stroma of breast tumours, where they may promote tumour growth and metastasis. In this review we discuss this emerging area of developmental and tumour biology.