International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Multifaceted Regulators of Breast Tumor Growth Maliha Tabassum Munir 1,2, Matthew K. Kay 3, Min H. Kang 4, Md Mizanur Rahman 5 , Ahmed Al-Harrasi 6 , Mahua Choudhury 3, Naima Moustaid-Moussa 1,2 , Fazle Hussain 7 and Shaikh Mizanoor Rahman 6,* 1 Nutritional Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA;
[email protected] (M.T.M.);
[email protected] (N.M.-M.) 2 Obesity Research Institute, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA 3 Texas A&M University Health Sciences Center, College Station, TX 77843, USA;
[email protected] (M.K.K.);
[email protected] (M.C.) 4 Cancer Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA;
[email protected] 5 Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar;
[email protected] 6 Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat Al-Mouz 616, Oman;
[email protected] 7 Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in women of Western countries and is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The breast tumor microenvironment contains Citation: Munir, M.T.; Kay, M.K.; immune cells, fibroblasts, adipocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, and extracellular matrix. Among Kang, M.H.; Rahman, M.M.; these cells, macrophages or tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the major components of the Al-Harrasi, A.; Choudhury, M.; breast cancer microenvironment.