Abstract ES11-2: Macro and Micro: Macrophage and microbiome diversity in the breast cancer microenvironment

Abstract

Abstract The breast tumor microenvironment (TME), devoid of nutrients and oxygen, recruits tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) that promote angiogenesis, metastasis and tumor growth. Removal or conversion of TAMs to an anti-tumor phenotype enhances chemo- and immuno-therapy in pre-clinical models and establishes TAMs as targets for anti-cancer therapy. Translation to the clinic has been slow, likely because current strategies broadly target macrophages. Several subsets of TAMs have been identified, yet little is known about their subset diversity in breast cancer and response to therapy. The failure to characterize TAM subsets has likely hindered progress in therapeutic targeting. This educational talk will provide a broad overview of the diversity of TAMs as well as the microbiome and how they are potentially intertwined within the complex breast TME. The talk will incorporate the state of the field to include elucidating the complexity of TAMs in breast cancer including their ontogeny, tissue specificity, phenotype, subset diversity and spatial relationship within the breast tumor. In addition, how the tumor microbiome may influence myeloid function and phenotype will be explored. Citation Format: JL Guerriero. Macro and Micro: Macrophage and microbiome diversity in the breast cancer microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr ES11-2.