Open AccessThe significance of macrophage phenotype in cancer and biomaterials
Author(s) -
Bygd Hannah C,
Forsmark Kiva D,
Bratlie Kaitlin M
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
clinical and translational medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.125
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 2001-1326
DOI - 10.1186/s40169-014-0041-2
Subject(s) - phenotype , chemokine , macrophage , angiogenesis , wound healing , cancer , cancer research , cytokine , tumor microenvironment , medicine , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , inflammation , immune system , gene , in vitro , genetics
Macrophages have long been known to exhibit heterogeneous and plastic phenotypes. They show functional diversity with roles in homeostasis, tissue repair, immunity and disease. There exists a spectrum of macrophage phenotypes with varied effector functions, molecular determinants, cytokine and chemokine profiles, as well as receptor expression. In tumor microenvironments, the subset of macrophages known as tumor‐associated macrophages generates byproducts that enhance tumor growth and angiogenesis, making them attractive targets for anti‐cancer therapeutics. With respect to wound healing and the foreign body response, there is a necessity for balance between pro‐inflammatory, wound healing, and regulatory macrophages in order to achieve successful implantation of a scaffold for tissue engineering. In this review, we discuss the multitude of ways macrophages are known to be important in cancer therapies and implanted biomaterials.