CD68

CD68 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that mainly exists in the mononuclear phagocyte system, which can activate cell phagocytic function to maintain internal environment stability, and promote the release of inflammatory factors to regulate inflammatory response. In clinical practice, CD68 can assist in the diagnosis of histiocytic neoplasm. Moreover, the mechanisms of CD68, which can specifically label tumor associated macrophages (TAMs), in different tumors has been gradually researched. For example, in oral cancer, gastric cancer and breast cancer, CD68+ TAMs often manifest as M2 type, which can promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumor angiogenesis, and reduce the chemosensitivity of cancer cells by releasing multiple cytokines. But CD68 in colorectal cancer has the potential to weaken tumor invasiveness, speculated that M1 TAMs with high CD68 expression can initiate adaptive immune response and induce DNA damage in cancer cells. In addition, some scholars pointed out that CD68+ TAMs in lung cancer can promote tumor growth in central region but have tumor inhibition effect in marginal region.