Neutrophil: A New Player in Metastatic Cancers

Mengyue Wu, Mutian Ma, Zhenya Tan, Hong Zheng, Xia Liu

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

78 Scopus citations

Abstract

The interaction between cancer cells and immune cells is important for the cancer development. However, much attention has been given to T cells and macrophages. Being the most abundant leukocytes in the blood, the functions of neutrophils in cancer have been underdetermined. They have long been considered an “audience” in the development of cancer. However, emerging evidence indicate that neutrophils are a heterogeneous population with plasticity, and subpopulation of neutrophils (such as low density neutrophils, polymorphonuclear-myeloid-derived suppressor cells) are actively involved in cancer growth and metastasis. Here, we review the current understanding of the role of neutrophils in cancer development, with a specific focus on their pro-metastatic functions. We also discuss the potential and challenges of neutrophils as therapeutic targets. A better understanding the role of neutrophils in cancer will discover new mechanisms of metastasis and develop new immunotherapies by targeting neutrophils.

Original languageEnglish
Article number565165
JournalFrontiers in Immunology
Volume11
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 24 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2020 Wu, Ma, Tan, Zheng and Liu.

Funding

Funding. This manuscript has been partially supported by the Susan G. Komen Foundation CCR18548501 (XL), NIH grant 5P20GM121327-04 (XL), the National Natural Science Foundation of China grants NO. 81670097 and 81870085 (HZ) and Grants for Scientific Research Enhancement of Anhui Medical University (2019xkjT004 and XJ2020019) (HZ).

FundersFunder number
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of General Medical SciencesP20GM121327
Susan G Komen FoundationCCR18548501
National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)81870085, 81670097
Anhui Medical University2019xkjT004, XJ2020019

    Keywords

    • circulating tumor cells
    • immunosuppression
    • metastasis
    • neutrophils
    • pre-metastatic niche
    • tumor microenvironments

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Immunology and Allergy
    • Immunology

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