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Immune cells in cancer
Research Guide
What is Immune cells in cancer?
Immune cells in cancer refer to the roles of macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, monocytes, and other immune components in modulating inflammation, tumor microenvironments, and immune responses during cancer development and progression.
This field encompasses 53,301 papers on macrophage activation, polarization, and interactions with myeloid-derived suppressor cells in tumor settings. Key studies examine how these cells influence inflammation and immunity in cancer, as shown in "Inflammation and cancer" by Lisa M. Coussens, Zena Werb (2002) with 14,911 citations. Research also covers monocyte heterogeneity and macrophage plasticity's impact on disease.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Macrophage Polarization in Tumor Microenvironment
This sub-topic investigates M1/M2 polarization dynamics influenced by tumor-derived factors like cytokines and hypoxia. Researchers study transcriptional regulators and metabolic shifts driving pro- vs anti-tumor phenotypes.
Tumor-Associated Macrophages and Angiogenesis
Studies explore TAM secretion of VEGF, MMPs, and other factors promoting tumor vascularization and metastasis. This includes single-cell analyses of TAM heterogeneity in vascular niches.
Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in Cancer
Researchers characterize MDSC expansion, immunosuppressive mechanisms like arginase and ROS production, and interactions with T cells in tumors. Therapeutic strategies aim to block MDSC recruitment and function.
Metabolic Regulation of Macrophage Activation
This sub-topic examines how glycolysis, OXPHOS, and fatty acid oxidation reprogram macrophage functions in inflammation and cancer. Studies link metabolic inhibitors to phenotype switching.
Tissue-Resident Macrophages in Cancer
Researchers profile ontogeny, self-renewal, and tumor interactions of organ-specific macrophages like Kupffer cells and alveolar macrophages. This contrasts monocyte-derived TAMs in metastasis.
Why It Matters
Immune cells in cancer affect tumor growth through inflammation and suppression mechanisms, with applications in immunotherapy. "Myeloid-derived suppressor cells as regulators of the immune system" by Dmitry I. Gabrilovich, Srinivas Nagaraj (2009) details how these cells inhibit T-cell responses, enabling tumor escape, cited 6,516 times. "Cancer Immunoediting: Integrating Immunity’s Roles in Cancer Suppression and Promotion" by Robert D. Schreiber, Lloyd J. Old, Mark J. Smyth (2011) explains immune system's dual suppression and promotion of cancer, with 6,206 citations, informing checkpoint inhibitor therapies targeting PD-1/PD-L1 pathways used in treatments for melanoma and lung cancer.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"Inflammation and cancer" by Lisa M. Coussens, Zena Werb (2002) provides a foundational overview of immune cell roles in tumor-promoting inflammation, ideal for initial reading due to its high citation count of 14,911 and broad conceptual framework.
Key Papers Explained
"Inflammation and cancer" by Coussens and Werb (2002) establishes inflammation's role, extended by "Cancer-related inflammation" by Mantovani et al. (2008) on cytokine networks and "Immunity, Inflammation, and Cancer" by Grivennikov et al. (2010) linking pathways to oncogenesis. "Exploring the full spectrum of macrophage activation" by Mosser and Edwards (2008) details macrophage states referenced in these, while "Myeloid-derived suppressor cells as regulators of the immune system" by Gabrilovich and Nagaraj (2009) builds on suppression mechanisms.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Current work emphasizes single-cell resolution of immune heterogeneity, as in "Integrated analysis of multimodal single-cell data" by Hao et al. (2021) with 14,626 citations, applied to dissect tumor-associated macrophage subsets and their metabolic regulation.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inflammation and cancer | 2002 | Nature | 14.9K | ✓ |
| 2 | Integrated analysis of multimodal single-cell data | 2021 | Cell | 14.6K | ✓ |
| 3 | Cancer-related inflammation | 2008 | Nature | 11.1K | ✓ |
| 4 | Immunity, Inflammation, and Cancer | 2010 | Cell | 10.4K | ✓ |
| 5 | Exploring the full spectrum of macrophage activation | 2008 | Nature reviews. Immuno... | 8.9K | ✓ |
| 6 | Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are induced by activated microglia | 2017 | Nature | 7.6K | ✓ |
| 7 | Human acute myeloid leukemia is organized as a hierarchy that ... | 1997 | Nature Medicine | 6.9K | ✕ |
| 8 | Myeloid-derived suppressor cells as regulators of the immune s... | 2009 | Nature reviews. Immuno... | 6.5K | ✕ |
| 9 | The chemokine system in diverse forms of macrophage activation... | 2004 | Trends in Immunology | 6.3K | ✕ |
| 10 | Cancer Immunoediting: Integrating Immunity’s Roles in Cancer S... | 2011 | Science | 6.2K | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What role do macrophages play in tumor microenvironments?
Macrophages undergo activation and polarization in tumors, influencing immune responses and inflammation. "Exploring the full spectrum of macrophage activation" by David M. Mosser, Justin P. Edwards (2008) describes classically and alternatively activated states, with tumor-associated macrophages often promoting cancer progression. This plasticity affects health and disease outcomes.
How do myeloid-derived suppressor cells regulate immunity in cancer?
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells suppress T-cell activation and proliferation in tumor settings. "Myeloid-derived suppressor cells as regulators of the immune system" by Dmitry I. Gabrilovich, Srinivas Nagaraj (2009) identifies their mechanisms, including arginase and reactive oxygen species production. These cells expand in cancer to dampen anti-tumor immunity.
What is the link between inflammation and cancer?
Chronic inflammation recruits immune cells that foster tumor development. "Inflammation and cancer" by Lisa M. Coussens, Zena Werb (2002) shows inflammatory cells supply growth factors and matrix remodeling enzymes to cancers. "Cancer-related inflammation" by Alberto Mantovani, Paola Allavena, Antonio Sica, Frances R. Balkwill (2008) highlights cytokines driving this process.
What methods analyze immune cell heterogeneity in cancer?
Single-cell multimodal analysis maps immune cell states in tumors. "Integrated analysis of multimodal single-cell data" by Yuhan Hao et al. (2021) integrates RNA and protein data to reveal macrophage and monocyte diversity. This approach uncovers tumor microenvironment compositions.
How does cancer immunoediting involve immune cells?
Cancer immunoediting features elimination, equilibrium, and escape phases driven by immune cells. "Cancer Immunoediting: Integrating Immunity’s Roles in Cancer Suppression and Promotion" by Robert D. Schreiber, Lloyd J. Old, Mark J. Smyth (2011) outlines how lymphocytes and myeloid cells sculpt tumor immunogenicity. This process explains immune therapy resistance.
Open Research Questions
- ? How do metabolic changes in tumor-associated macrophages alter their polarization and anti-tumor functions?
- ? What specific chemokines direct myeloid-derived suppressor cell recruitment to tumor sites?
- ? In what ways does macrophage plasticity enable cancer immune escape during immunoediting?
- ? How do interactions between tissue-resident macrophages and cancer cells influence metastasis?
- ? What markers distinguish pro-tumor from anti-tumor monocyte subsets in human cancers?
Recent Trends
The field spans 53,301 works with sustained focus on macrophage polarization and myeloid suppressors.
Recent high-impact integration appears in "Integrated analysis of multimodal single-cell data" by Yuhan Hao et al. , advancing from earlier works like Mosser and Edwards (2008) on activation spectra.
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