Chronic compression drives macrophages toward a pathological pro-tumor state.

ABSTRACT: Macrophages comprise a significant portion of the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment and are essential in promoting immunosuppression and tumor progression. Solid tumors such as glioblastoma generate solid stress as they expand, creating a compressive microenvironment for mechanosensitive immune cells including macrophages. Macrophages are known to respond to various mechanical stimuli but have not yet been studied in the context of chronic compression observed in growing tumors. Here, we used a custom in vitro compression system to elucidate the effects of compressive solid stress on murine macrophages. We found that macrophages have significant morphological, transcriptional, metabolic, and functional responses to compression. These changes corresponded to both canonical pro- and

SUBMITTER: Burchett A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12132300 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature