Breast Cancer Therapy Development Targeting TAMs

Alfa Cytology specializes in providing one-stop integrated development solutions for researchers engaged in tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) modulator development for breast cancer. We focus on targeting Tyro3, Axl, and Mer receptors, aiming to develop innovative therapies that can modulate the tumor microenvironment, inhibit tumor growth, and enhance the efficacy of existing breast cancer therapies.

Introduction to TAMs

The early disease progression of breast cancer (BC) is related to tumor inflammatory response and angiogenesis, and promotes the disease to continue to develop through various signaling pathways. In the middle and late stages of BC, the tumor microenvironment releases various types of cytokines, chemokines, and immunosuppressive soluble factors, which promote tumor progression and metastasis. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), as the most abundant innate immune population in the tumor microenvironment, account for about 50% of local hematopoietic cells, and have anti-tumor, tumor-promoting heterogeneity, and differentiation plasticity. TAMs are mainly divided into inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2). In the early stage of tumorigenesis, TAMs show an inflammatory phenotype. As the tumor progresses, TAMs gradually show an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Current studies have shown that TAMs can effectively inhibit tumor growth and proliferation, therefore, TAMs are potential anti-tumor targets.

Fig.1 Schematic diagram of TAM participating in the pyroptosis process of BC cells: TAM participates in the pyroptosis mediated by Gasdermin family proteins through various pathways, including typical pathways and atypical pathways. (Ji X, et al., 2023)

Our Services

Alfa Cytology can provide you with TAMs-targeted BC therapy development services. TAMs play a key role in the occurrence and development of breast tumors and are effective targets for the control and treatment of BC. Blocking tumor-associated cytokines and reducing angiogenesis through TAM-targeted therapy holds promise for inhibiting cellular scorching, thereby slowing breast tumor progression. Our strategy is as follows:

• Inhibits macrophage recruitment
  The secretion of CCL2 and CSF-1 increases TAMs, targeting and inhibiting the CCL2/CCR2 and CSF/CSFR signaling axis can reduce the infiltration of TAMs in breast tumors. M-CSF is also an important target for inhibiting macrophage recruitment. We can help you screen for effective inhibitors of BC-related signaling pathways.
• Eliminate TAMs
  Local killing and clearance of tumor-promoting TAMs by initiating apoptosis is a specific therapy for the treatment of BC. We can help you screen for drugs that can effectively induce apoptosis in TAMs.
• Promotes the transformation of TAMs into antitumor M1-type macrophages
  In the tumor microenvironment, macrophage polarization mainly depends on the activity of local cytokines. Th1 cytokines, such as TNF, IL-12, and IFN secrete pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages, and influencing these factors can target BC therapy.
• Blocking the polarization of TAMs towards M2 macrophages
  STAT3 and STAT6 play important roles in cytokine and growth factor signaling in M2-like TAMs. We can help you develop STAT3 and STAT6 inhibitors to reduce the secretion of M2-type TAMs.

Advantages of Our Services

Alfa Cytology' team is composed of highly educated and highly qualified professionals with good professional backgrounds and BC research experience. If you are interested in learning more about our BC therapy development services, please feel free to contact us. Our professional and patient staff will contact you as soon as possible.