Long-lived tumor-associated macrophages in glioma.
(2020) Neuro-oncology advances — Vol. 2, n° 1, p. vdaa127 (2020)
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- Authors
Georgieva, Petya B 
- Abstract
- The tumor microenvironment plays a major tumor-supportive role in glioma. In particular, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which can make up to one-third of the tumor mass, actively support tumor growth, invasion, and angiogenesis. Predominantly alternatively activated (M2-polarized) TAMs are found in late-stage glioma in both human and mouse tumors, as well as in relapse samples from patients. However, whether tumor-educated M2 TAMs can actively contribute to the emergence and growth of relapse is currently debated. To investigate whether tumor-educated stromal cells remaining in the brain after surgical removal of the primary tumor can be long-lived and retain their tumor-supporting function, we developed a transplantation mouse model and performed lineage-tracing. We discovered that macrophages can survive transplantation and stay present in the tumor much longer than previously suggested, while sustaining an M2-polarized protumorigenic phenotype. Transplanted tumors showed a more aggressive growth and faster polarization of the TAMs toward an M2 phenotype compared with primary tumors, a process dependent on the presence of few cotransplanted macrophages. Overall, we propose a new way for tumor-educated TAMs to contribute to glioma aggressiveness by long survival and stable protumorigenic features. These properties could have a relapse-supporting effect.
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Citations
Georgieva, P. B., Mathivet, T., Alt, S., Giese, W., Riva, M., Balcer, M., & Gerhardt, H. (2020). Long-lived tumor-associated macrophages in glioma. Neuro-oncology advances, 2(1), vdaa127. https://doi.org/10.1093/noajnl/vdaa127 (Original work published 2020)