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REVIEW article
Front. Med.
Sec. Pulmonary Medicine
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1541104
The clinical significance and potential therapeutic target of tumor-associated macrophage in non-small cell lung cancer
Provisionally accepted- 1 Liyuan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- 2 Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China
Abstract: One of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality globally is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It has become a significant public health concern due to its rising incidence rate and fatality. Tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) is important in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of NSCLC because they have an impact on the development, metastasis, and incidence of tumors. As a crucial element of the TME, TAM contributes to tumor immune evasion, facilitates tumor proliferation and metastasis, and modulates tumor angiogenesis, immunosuppression, and treatment resistance through the secretion of diverse cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. Consequently, TAM assumes a multifaceted and intricate function in the onset, progression, and therapeutic response of NSCLC, serving as a crucial focal point for comprehending the tumor microenvironment and formulating novel therapeutic methods. The study aims to review the biological properties and potential processes of TAM in NSCLC, investigate its involvement in the clinical of NSCLC patients, and discuss its potential as a therapeutic target.
Keywords: tumor-associated macrophage, Non-small cell lung cancer, therapeutic targets, immune escape, Tumor Microenvironment
Received: 07 Dec 2024; Accepted: 27 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Sun, Zhou, Sun and Zeng. 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:
Yalu Sun, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China
Yulan Zeng, Liyuan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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