Figure 9. Crosstalk between tumor cells and macrophages which propagates the growth and survival of cancer cells.

Tumor cells activate macrophages to secrete IL-1β which in a NF-κB/AKT dependent manner inactivates GSK3β and thus promotes Wnt signaling in tumor cells. Elevated levels of c-myc contribute to enhanced growth of tumor cells, while increased levels of Snail contribute to enhanced Wnt signaling, protect cells from TRAIL induced apoptosis, and are likely to contribute to the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and enhanced metastatic potential of tumor cells.