Elixiron Immunotherapeutics CEO, Hung-Kai Chen is a co-author on a Nature Communications publication of a research study that investigated differences in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) from primary versus metastatic cancers. Metastasis is the process whereby a tumor spreads from the initial tumor site to other parts of the body, and is responsible for about 90% of all cancer deaths. It was discovered that dual expression of so-called M1 and M2 markers is noted in TAMs from primary tumors whereas M2 markers predominate in metastatic site TAMs where they secrete factors that facilitate metastatic site colonization. These and other results, which can be read about here, indicate that the distinct environments of primary and metastatic tumors provide potential targets for preventing tumor metastasis.
