Reprogramming tumor-promoting macrophages for anti-cancer therapy

Researchers who have recently established their laboratory at the EPFL School of Life Sciences have identified a small RNA molecule that limits the pro-tumoral functions of macrophages. Tumor-associated macrophages - Macrophages are cells of the immune system that help the host to clear pathogens and dead cells. However, tumors can hijack and "re-educate" these cells to support their own growth. In the February issue of Cell Reports, Michele De Palma and his colleagues report on the identification and characterizing of a microRNA, called miR-511-3p, which is expressed by tumor-promoting macrophages. They found that miR-511-3p functions as a genetic relay that modulates the protumoral genetic programs of macrophages. A molecular switch - microRNAs are a class of small RNA molecules that finely tune gene expression in living cells, and are increasingly implicated in several pathological conditions, including cancer. Some of these microRNAs are expressed from protein-coding genes.