Tumors hijack macrophages after they clear dead cells, real-time tracking reveals

Researchers at Tel Aviv University's Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences have uncovered how a natural and essential immune system process can be hijacked to promote cancer progression. In a new study, the research team developed an advanced technology that enabled it to track macrophages, immune system cells, in real time and reveal how they alter their behavior within a cancerous tumor after consuming dead cancer cells. The findings may pave the way for the development of new treatments targeting the specific macrophages identified in the study, restoring the immune system's ability to fight the tumor instead of helping it.