{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: An Ex Vivo 3D Tumor Microenvironment-Mimicry Culture to Study TAM Modulation of Cancer Immunotherapy.
{Author}: Li YR;Yu Y;Kramer A;Hon R;Wilson M;Brown J;Yang L;
{Journal}: Cells
{Volume}: 11
{Issue}: 9
{Year}: 05 2022 8
{Factor}: 7.666
{DOI}: 10.3390/cells11091583
{Abstract}: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) accumulate in the solid tumor microenvironment (TME) and have been shown to promote tumor growth and dampen antitumor immune responses. TAM-mediated suppression of T-cell antitumor reactivity is considered to be a major obstacle for many immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint blockade and adoptive T/CAR-T-cell therapies. An ex vivo culture system closely mimicking the TME can greatly facilitate the study of cancer immunotherapies. Here, we report the development of a 3D TME-mimicry culture that is comprised of the three major components of a human TME, including human tumor cells, TAMs, and tumor antigen-specific T cells. This TME-mimicry culture can readout the TAM-mediated suppression of T-cell antitumor reactivity, and therefore can be used to study TAM modulation of T-cell-based cancer immunotherapy. As a proof-of-principle, the studies of a PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy and a MAO-A blockade therapy were performed and validated.