AUTHOR=Shojaee Pejman , Mornata Federica , Deutsch Andreas , Locati Massimo , Hatzikirou Haralampos 

TITLE=The impact of tumor associated macrophages on tumor biology under the lens of mathematical modelling: A review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1050067

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2022.1050067

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>In this article, we review the role of mathematical modelling to elucidate the impact of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in tumor progression and therapy design. We first outline the biology of TAMs, and its current application in tumor therapies, and their experimental methods that provide insights into tumor cell-macrophage interactions. We then focus on the mechanistic mathematical models describing the role of macrophages as drug carriers, the impact of macrophage polarized activation on tumor growth, and the role of tumor microenvironment (TME) parameters on the tumor-macrophage interactions. This review aims to identify the synergies between biological and mathematical approaches that allow us to translate knowledge on fundamental TAMs biology in addressing current clinical challenges.</p>