Neutrophil Dynamics in Tumor Microenvironment
Summary
Neutrophils, the most abundant circulating leukocytes, play a multifaceted role within the tumour microenvironment (TME). Upon recruitment by tumour-derived chemokines, these cells undergo phenotypic polarisation into tumour-suppressive (often termed N1) or tumour-promoting (N2) states, dynamically shaped by local cytokine milieus. In their anti-tumour guise, neutrophils can release cytotoxic mediators and bolster antigen presentation, whereas tumour-supportive neutrophils secrete proteases, angiogenic factors and immunosuppressive cytokines that facilitate extracellular matrix remodelling, neovascularisation and evasion of adaptive immunity. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) further contribute to metastatic niche formation by ensnaring circulating tumour cells. The plasticity of tumour-associated neutrophils (TANs) underpins their dualistic impact on cancer progression, with shifts in systemic neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio serving as a prognostic indicator across multiple malignancies. Understanding the recruitment signals, intracellular polarisation pathways and intercellular crosstalk that regulate neutrophil behaviour is essential for the development of targeted interventions that either enhance their cytotoxic potential or inhibit their pro-tumour functions.
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Neutrophil Dynamics in Tumor Microenvironment publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in neutrophil dynamics in tumor microenvironment across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Neutrophil: A type of white blood cell essential for innate defence, capable of phagocytosis, degranulation and NET formation.
Tumour microenvironment (TME): The complex milieu of cancer cells, stromal cells, immune infiltrates, vasculature and extracellular matrix surrounding a tumour.
Tumour-associated neutrophils (TANs): Neutrophils that have infiltrated the TME and adopted phenotypes ranging from cytotoxic to pro-tumoural.
Neutrophil polarisation (N1/N2): The functional orientation of TANs toward anti-tumour (N1) or pro-tumour (N2) activities under the influence of local signals.
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs): Web-like chromatin structures expelled by activated neutrophils that can immobilise pathogens or tumour cells but also promote metastasis.
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs): A heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells, including neutrophil-like subsets, that suppress T-cell responses within tumours.
References
- Chronic pulmonary bacterial infection facilitates breast cancer lung metastasis by recruiting tumor-promoting MHCIIhi neutrophils. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy (2023).
- Neutrophils in Cancer immunotherapy: friends or foes?. Molecular Cancer (2024).
- Engineering and Targeting Neutrophils for Cancer Therapy. Advanced Materials (2024).
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