The emerging understanding of myeloid cells as partners and targets in tumor rejection

ML Broz, MF Krummel - Cancer immunology research, 2015 - AACR
ML Broz, MF Krummel
Cancer immunology research, 2015AACR
Myeloid cells are the most prominent among cells capable of presenting tumor-derived
antigens to T cells and thereby maintaining the latter in an activated state. Myeloid
populations of the tumor microenvironment prominently include monocytes and neutrophils
(sometimes loosely grouped as myeloid-derived suppressor cells), macrophages, and
dendritic cells. Although intratumoral myeloid populations, as a whole, have long been
considered nonstimulatory or suppressive, it has only recently been appreciated that not all …
Abstract
Myeloid cells are the most prominent among cells capable of presenting tumor-derived antigens to T cells and thereby maintaining the latter in an activated state. Myeloid populations of the tumor microenvironment prominently include monocytes and neutrophils (sometimes loosely grouped as myeloid-derived suppressor cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. Although intratumoral myeloid populations, as a whole, have long been considered nonstimulatory or suppressive, it has only recently been appreciated that not all tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells are made equal. Because of advances in high-dimensional flow cytometry as well as more robust transcriptional profiling, we now also understand that the subsets of the tumor-myeloid compartment are far more diverse and notably even contain a rare population of stimulatory dendritic cells. As all of these myeloid populations represent major T-cell–interacting partners for incoming tumor-reactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes, understanding the distinctions in their lineage and function reveals and guides numerous therapeutic avenues targeting these antigen-presenting cells. In this Cancer Immunology at the Crossroads overview, we review the recent progress in this rapidly evolving field and advance the hypothesis that the antigen-presenting compartment within tumor microenvironments may contain significant numbers of potent allies to be leveraged for immune-based tumor clearance. Cancer Immunol Res; 3(4); 313–9. ©2015 AACR.
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