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REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1408377
This article is part of the Research Topic The Role of Macrophages in Tumor Initiation, Metastasis, and Cancer Prevention View all 8 articles

Natural Plant-derived Polysaccharides Targeting Macrophage Polarization: A Promising Strategy for Cancer Immunotherapy

Provisionally accepted
Jingyang Wei Jingyang Wei 1Ni Zhang Ni Zhang 2Zijjian Wang Zijjian Wang 3*Xinchen Tian Xinchen Tian 4Tinghao Yan Tinghao Yan 2Xiaohan Jin Xiaohan Jin 5,6*Shulong Jiang Shulong Jiang 1,4*
  • 1 Second college of clinical medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
  • 2 Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
  • 3 College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
  • 4 Clinical Medical Laboratory Center, Jining No.1 People’s Hospital, Shandong First Medical University, Jining, China
  • 5 Center for Post-Doctoral Studies, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
  • 6 Jining First People's Hospital, Jining, Shandong, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are the predominant innate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cytokines induce the differentiation of macrophages into distinct types of TAMs, primarily characterized by two phenotypes: M1-polarized and M2-polarized.Cancer growth is suppressed by M1-polarized macrophages and promoted by M2-polarized macrophages. The regulation of macrophage M1 polarization has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy. Polysaccharides are important bioactive substances found in numerous plants, manifesting a wide range of noteworthy biological actions, such as immunomodulation, anti-tumor effects, antioxidant capabilities, and antiviral functions. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in interest regarding the immunomodulatory and anti-tumor properties of polysaccharides derived from plants. The regulatory impact of polysaccharides on the immune system is mainly associated with the natural immune response, especially with the regulation of macrophages. This review provides a thorough analysis of the regulatory effects and mechanisms of plant polysaccharides on TAMs. Additionally, an analysis of potential opportunities for clinical translation of plant polysaccharides as immune adjuvants is presented. These insights have greatly advanced the research of plant polysaccharides for immunotherapy in tumor-related applications.

    Keywords: polysaccharide, Tumor Microenvironment, macrophage, polarization, Anticancer immunotherapy

    Received: 28 Mar 2024; Accepted: 27 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wei, Zhang, Wang, Tian, Yan, Jin and Jiang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Zijjian Wang, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
    Xiaohan Jin, Center for Post-Doctoral Studies, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
    Shulong Jiang, Clinical Medical Laboratory Center, Jining No.1 People’s Hospital, Shandong First Medical University, Jining, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.