Figure 1
From: Macrophages may promote cancer growth via a GM-CSF/HB-EGF paracrine loop that is enhanced by CXCL12
Ligand/receptor repertoire in metastatic colon cancer and infiltrating macrophages. Serial preparations of a surgically removed hepatic, subglissonian colon cancer nodule (★) were stained with Abs against the specified molecules. Infiltrating CD68-positive macrophages (☆), which bridge perivascular zones to gland-like structures built up by metastatic colon cancer cells, stained positive for CXCL10 (a M1-marker) and CD163 (a M2-marker) indicating a mixed M1/M2 environment. They preferentially stained positive for CXCR4, GM-CSF, HB-EGF and CXCL12. Cancer cells were positive for HER1, HER4, CXCR4 and CXCL12, and to a lesser extent, GM-CSF. The role of these molecules in the crosstalk between tumour-associated macrophages and cancer cells was evaluated in the following experiments. Boxes delineate regions shown below at higher magnification (400×). H/E: a haematoxylin/eosin staining of the metastatic nodule (★) showing its hepatic topography among macrophages (☆) at low magnification (40×). A representative case out of 15 is shown.