Macrophages initiate and direct other immune responses
A research team describes ‘tuning’ macrophages from ones that repair wounds (and contribute to tumor growth) to ones that sterilize wounds (and contribute to immune system’s attack of tumor tissue).
The immune system’s macrophages pick a life path. Cancers encourage macrophages to pick the path of wound-repair, making what are called “M2” or “repair-type” macrophages. Cancers use these M2 macrophages to promote their own growth. Now researchers can successfully flip M2 macrophages into their wound-sterilizing cousins, called “M1” or “kill-type” macrophages, which, contrary to promoting the growth of new tissue, may aid the immune system in clearing the body of cancer.
“The basic message we’re trying to convey is that turning those M2 m...
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