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. 2023 Jul 3;15(13):3480. doi: 10.3390/cancers15133480

Figure 8.

Figure 8

Model of thrombin cleavage fragments of osteopontin (OPN) in promoting cancer. Three subtypes of macrophages were identified amongst tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) isolated from murine tumors by flow cytometry: M1 (blue, CD38+EGR-2−), M2 (green, CD38−EGR-2+ or CD11b+CD206+), and new phenotype macrophages (red, CD11b+CD11c−CD206+Ly6G−). The markers are CD11b: integrin αM, CD11c: integrin αX, CD38: ADPRC 1, CD206: mannose receptor, EGR-2: early growth response gene-2, and Ly6G: GR-1. Thrombin cleaves full-length OPN (OPN-FL) into OPN-R and OPN-CTF, that down-regulate the host anti-tumor response. The numbers of M1 and M2 subtype macrophages in tumors from mice that were unable to generate OPN-R and OPN-CTF were decreased, while new phenotype macrophages were increased in comparison to wild-type mice able to produce OPN-R. These changes in the phenotype of the TAMs resulted in smaller tumors on mice that do not have OPN or if the OPN gene has a mutation preventing thrombin cleavage. Created with BioRender.com.