Macrophages Interact with Mesenchymal Cells

Macrophages Interact with Mesenchymal Cells

Anushka Dongre

MIT Department of Biology, Whitehead Institute, Koch Institute at MIT

This image represents the interaction of breast cancer cells with immune cells. Most breast tumors are comprised of breast cancer cells along with cells of the immune response. These immune cells greatly influence the ability of breast tumors to spread to distant sites of the body. Paradoxically, some mmune cells help the tumor grow instead of curbing its growth! These specialized immune cells are called as “immunosuppressive” cells and can be found in large numbers in tumors. In this image one can observe a specific subset of immunosuppressive cells called the M2-macrophages (white border expressing red immunosuppressive enzyme) interacting with mesenchymal cancer cells in green.

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