@article{Yahya S. Al-Matary_Lacramioara Botezatu_Bertram Opalka_Judith M. Hönes_Robert F. Lams_Aniththa Thivakaran_Judith Schütte_Renata Köster_Klaus Lennartz_Thomas Schroeder_Rainer Haas_Ulrich Dührsen_Cyrus Khandanpour_2016, place={Pavia, Italy}, title={Acute myeloid leukemia cells polarize macrophages towards a leukemia supporting state in a Growth factor independence 1 dependent manner}, volume={101}, url={https://haematologica.org/article/view/7848}, DOI={10.3324/haematol.2016.143180}, abstractNote={The growth of malignant cells is not only driven by cell-intrinsic factors, but also by the surrounding stroma. Monocytes/Macrophages play an important role in the onset and progression of solid cancers. However, little is known about their role in the development of acute myeloid leukemia, a malignant disease characterized by an aberrant development of the myeloid compartment of the hematopoietic system. It is also unclear which factors are responsible for changing the status of macrophage polarization, thus supporting the growth of malignant cells instead of inhibiting it. We report herein that acute myeloid leukemia leads to the invasion of acute myeloid leukemia-associated macrophages into the bone marrow and spleen of leukemic patients and mice. In different leukemic mouse models, these macrophages support the <em>in vitro</em> expansion of acute myeloid leukemia cell lines better than macrophages from non-leukemic mice. The grade of macrophage infiltration correlates <em>in vivo</em> with the survival of the mice. We found that the transcriptional repressor Growth factor independence 1 is crucial in the process of macrophage polarization, since its absence impedes macrophage polarization towards a leukemia supporting state and favors an anti-tumor state both <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em&gt;. These results not only suggest that acute myeloid leukemia-associated macrophages play an important role in the progression of acute myeloid leukemia, but also implicate Growth factor independence 1 as a pivotal factor in macrophage polarization. These data may provide new insights and opportunities for novel therapies for acute myeloid leukemia.}, number={10}, journal={Haematologica}, author={Yahya S. Al-Matary and Lacramioara Botezatu and Bertram Opalka and Judith M. Hönes and Robert F. Lams and Aniththa Thivakaran and Judith Schütte and Renata Köster and Klaus Lennartz and Thomas Schroeder and Rainer Haas and Ulrich Dührsen and Cyrus Khandanpour}, year={2016}, month={Sep.}, pages={1216-1227} }