# Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs)

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/tumor-associated-macrophages/  
OnCo record `tumor-associated-macrophages` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Tumour-associated macrophages are immune cells that should eat cancer cells but are re-educated by the tumour to protect it instead. They are often the most abundant immune cell in a tumour.

## Summary

Mostly M2-like, immunosuppressive, pro-angiogenic; recruited by CSF1 and CCL2; express PD-L1, SIRPα, TREM2. Targets: CSF1R (pexidartinib approved in TGCT; broadly disappointing in cancer), CD47/SIRPα (magrolimab failed), TREM2, CD40 agonists. Depleting M2 TAMs is also the rationale of the MERTK ADC RGX-019-MMAE.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-08

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumor-associated_macrophage
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumor-associated_macrophage

## Connected records

- targets: [CD47](https://onco.cc/targets/cd47/), [PD-L1](https://onco.cc/targets/pdl1/)
- drugs: [Magrolimab](https://onco.cc/drugs/magrolimab/)
- pathways: [MYC](https://onco.cc/pathways/myc/), [Myeloid suppression: TAMs, MDSCs & don't-eat-me signals](https://onco.cc/pathways/myeloid-suppression-axis/), [Nutrient competition & metabolic immunosuppression](https://onco.cc/pathways/nutrient-competition-tme/), [Tumour microenvironment (TME)](https://onco.cc/pathways/tumor-microenvironment/)
- key papers: [Balkwill and Mantovani 2001: inflammation and cancer, back to Virchow?](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-balkwill-mantovani-inflammation-virchow-lancet-2001/), [Quail and Joyce 2013: microenvironmental regulation of tumour progression and metastasis](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-quail-joyce-microenvironment-metastasis-natmed-2013/)
- terms: [Macrophage](https://onco.cc/terms/macrophage/)

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