Hodgkin Lymphoma Reed-Sternberg Cells Induce Immunosuppressive and Pro-Angiogenic Phenotype of Tumor-Associated Macrophages in a Paracrine Manner

Increased frequency of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) predicts shortened survival of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), suggesting their protumoral role in the disease. In vitro, malignant cells of cHL (Reed-Sternberg cells, RS) produce humoral factors that convert macrophages into TAMs capable of suppressing T-cell proliferation and exhibiting matrix remodeling activity that fosters lymphoma cell dissemination. Despite these features, phenotype and tumor-supportive activities of cHL-TAMs still remain to be elucidated. Herein, using an in vitro model of cHL-TAMs (RS-conditioned macrophages; RS-M), we provide more comprehensive insights into the biology of macrophages in cHL.