Liu Ruihong, Lu Jianxin, Liu Jun, Liao Yilei, Guo Yinuo, Shi Peiqi, Wang Ziqiang, Wang Han, Lai Jingling
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11 North Third Ring East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China.
Department of Urology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 5 Beixiange, Guang'anmen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100053, P.R. China.
J Transl Med. 2025 Jun 2;23(1):615. doi: 10.1186/s12967-025-06519-x.
Prostate malignant tumors are notably common within the male urinary tract and present significant challenges in medical treatment. A crucial aspect of understanding the progression of these tumors involves examining the immune microenvironment, particularly the multifaceted role played by macrophages. These immune cells have dual functions: on the one hand, they can inhibit tumor growth, while on the other hand, they can also facilitate and accelerate the progression of prostate cancer. Investigations have shed light on the mechanisms through which macrophages contribute to cancer promotion. These mechanisms include their involvement in mediating inflammatory responses, the secretion of chemokines that attract other immune cells, and the production of macrophage extracellular traps (METs), all of which may create favorable environments for tumor development. In the context of advanced prostate cancer, immunotherapy has emerged as the primary treatment modality. However, the effectiveness of this approach often falls short, leading to disheartening prognoses for patients undergoing such therapies. The suboptimal efficacy and poor outcomes associated with immunotherapy may be correlated with the activity of macrophages within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Specifically, the infiltration of macrophages into tumor tissues, along with elevated levels of these cells in the peripheral blood, has been identified as an indicator of a poor prognosis for individuals with prostate cancer. This study provides a deeper understanding of the cancer-promoting effects of macrophages and the various mechanisms by which they operate, including the roles of chemokines and the production of macrophage extracellular traps in both the onset and progression of prostate cancer. Furthermore, we explored how these factors are related to local tumor infiltration and systemic macrophage counts, which are associated with unfavorable survival outcomes for patients with this disease.
前列腺恶性肿瘤在男性泌尿系统中尤为常见，给医学治疗带来了重大挑战。了解这些肿瘤进展的一个关键方面涉及研究免疫微环境，特别是巨噬细胞所起的多方面作用。这些免疫细胞具有双重功能：一方面，它们可以抑制肿瘤生长，而另一方面，它们也可以促进和加速前列腺癌的进展。研究揭示了巨噬细胞促进癌症的机制。这些机制包括它们参与介导炎症反应、分泌吸引其他免疫细胞的趋化因子以及产生巨噬细胞胞外陷阱（METs），所有这些都可能为肿瘤发展创造有利环境。在晚期前列腺癌的背景下，免疫疗法已成为主要的治疗方式。然而，这种方法的有效性往往不足，导致接受此类治疗的患者预后令人沮丧。免疫疗法的疗效欠佳和预后不良可能与肿瘤微环境（TME）中巨噬细胞的活性相关。具体而言，巨噬细胞浸润到肿瘤组织以及外周血中这些细胞水平的升高，已被确定为前列腺癌患者预后不良的一个指标。本研究更深入地了解了巨噬细胞的促癌作用及其运作的各种机制，包括趋化因子的作用以及巨噬细胞胞外陷阱在前列腺癌发生和进展中的产生。此外，我们探讨了这些因素如何与局部肿瘤浸润和全身巨噬细胞计数相关，而这些与该疾病患者的不良生存结果有关。
