ReviewClinical and experimental medicine2026
Morpho-functional plasticity of tumour-associated macrophages: linking cell shape, ultrastructure, and immune regulation in cancer.
Review in Clinical and experimental medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Macrophages are highly adaptable immune cells that play dual roles in the tumor microenvironment (TME), either promoting or restraining tumor progression. Their polarization into M1 and M2 tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) phenotypes is classically defined by molecular and biochemical cues. Recent evidence shows that morphology also significantly influences the macrophage function and behavior. This review highlights the correlation between macrophage shape and function, and how cytoskeletal remodeling, extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness, and topographical patterning regulate macrophage polarization under in vitro and in vivo conditions. We further discuss the ultrastructural features of distinct phenotypes and their mechanistic links to tumor growth and metastasis. Therapeutic strategies that target morphology through ECM modulation, engineered biomaterials, and nanoparticle platforms are examined alongside modern imaging and machine learning tools that enable precise morphometric analysis. Finally, we address the translational progress and limitations of current 2D versus 3D model systems. Overall, this review emphasizes macrophage morphology as a critical yet underexplored determinant of immune function and tumor dynamics.
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