Neutrophils represent the most abundant leukocyte population in human peripheral blood, and their role had long been considered restricted to their phagocytic and antimicrobial activities during the acute phase of inflammation. However, an increasing number of recent investigations had highlighted their possible impact in tumor initiation and development, and the nature of neutrophil contribution in cancer had become a hot topic in immunology. Over the years, neutrophils have been shown to display both pro-tumor and antitumor effects, emphasizing an unexpected cellular heterogeneity in cancer. In this review, we will focus on the several ‘shades’ of neutrophils in tumor initiation, growth and metastasis. In addition, we will discuss the clinical significance of tumor-associated neutrophils in humans and their potential targeting in cancer therapy.
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December 2017
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Review Article|
December 12 2017
Dissecting neutrophil complexity in cancer
Andrea Ponzetta
;
Andrea Ponzetta
1
Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano (Mi), Italy
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Alberto Mantovani
;
1
Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano (Mi), Italy2
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini, 20090 Pieve Emanuele (Milano), Italy3
The William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, U.K.
Correspondence: Alberto Mantovani (alberto.mantovani@humanitasresearch.it) or Sebastien Jaillon (sebastien.jaillon@humanitasresearch.it)
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Sebastien Jaillon
1
Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano (Mi), Italy2
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini, 20090 Pieve Emanuele (Milano), Italy
Correspondence: Alberto Mantovani (alberto.mantovani@humanitasresearch.it) or Sebastien Jaillon (sebastien.jaillon@humanitasresearch.it)
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Emerg Top Life Sci (2017) 1 (5): 457-470.
Article history
Received:
September 21 2017
Revision Received:
November 15 2017
Accepted:
November 15 2017
Citation
Francesco M. Marincola, Andrea Ponzetta, Alberto Mantovani, Sebastien Jaillon; Dissecting neutrophil complexity in cancer. Emerg Top Life Sci 12 December 2017; 1 (5): 457–470. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/ETLS20170062
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