Evidence mapPaperPMID 41776613Full record

ReviewMolecular cancer2026

Spatiotemporal dynamics of radioresistance: decoding macrophage-driven radioprotective niches through temporal-spatial reprogramming.

Miao Zhang, Xiaolin Zhang, Xueyi Song, Ruixue Bai, Qiao Qiao, Minjie Wei, Lin Zhao

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Molecular cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Miao ZhangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China.
Xiaolin ZhangDepartment of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, People's Republic of China.
Xueyi SongDepartment of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, People's Republic of China.
Ruixue BaiDepartment of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, People's Republic of China.
Qiao QiaoDepartment of Radiation Oncology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China. braveheart8063@outlook.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6841-3771
Minjie WeiDepartment of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, People's Republic of China. mjwei@cmu.edu.cn.
Lin ZhaoDepartment of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, People's Republic of China. lzhao@cmu.edu.cn.

Funding

the National Natural Science Foundation of China No.82373229
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Within the intricate tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) engage in dynamic cross-communication with neighboring cellular and acellular components, orchestrating dual pro- and anti-tumorigenic programs, including tumor proliferation, immune suppression, angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodeling, and metabolic reprogramming. Radiotherapy, while inducing direct tumoricidal effects, paradoxically triggers vascular injury and inflammatory cascades that recruit and reprogram TAM populations. These radiation-educated TAMs subsequently establish therapy-resistant niches through multifaceted mechanisms, driving post-radiation tumor recurrence and treatment failure. Emerging evidence highlights that TAM polarization states critically determine therapeutic outcomes in both standalone radiotherapy and combination regimens with immunotherapy. However, translating TAM-targeting strategies into clinical practice faces substantial biological and technical challenges.In this review, we systematically analyze the spatial-temporal mechanisms underlying radiotherapy-induced TAM recruitment and radioresistance development, with particular emphasis on their bidirectional interactions with tumor cells, immune effectors, hypoxic niches, and stromal cells. Specifically, we map the therapeutic landscape by evaluating promising targets for TAM reprogramming in combination with radiotherapy and/or immune checkpoint blockade. Furthermore, we critically appraise emerging technologies for TAM manipulation in the radioimmunotherapy context, including nanotheranostics and novel therapeutic approaches. Finally, we discuss unresolved mechanistic questions, translational barriers, and strategic opportunities for developing personalized combination therapies that leverage TAM biology to overcome radioresistance. This synthesis provides a conceptual framework for rationally designing next-generation radiosensitization strategies grounded in TME immunomodulation.

Indexed as

Cellular ReprogrammingMacrophagesNeoplasmsRadiation ToleranceTumor-Associated MacrophagesTumor MicroenvironmentAnimalsHumansMetabolic ReprogrammingCombined therapy strategiesRadioresistanceTemporal-spatial cross-talkTumor-associated macrophageTumor microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID41776613
PMCPMC13067690

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.