‘Switch’ Harnesses Macrophages for Good

Blocking production of a single protein can flip tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) from protecting tumors to attacking them. To unlock this switch, Jorge Henao-Mejia, MD, PhD, and Megan L. Clark, of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, conducted studies across multiple tumor types and found that signals from the immune protein interferon in the tumor environment suppress NDUFA4—a mitochondrial protein essential for energy production—which pushes TAMs into an anti-tumor state, enhancing immunotherapy responses.