The Neutrophil: The Underdog That Packs a Punch in the Fight against Cancer
The advent of immunotherapy has had a major impact on the outcome and overall survival in many types of cancer. Current immunotherapeutic strategies typically aim to (re)activate anticancer T cell immunity, although the targeting of macrophage-mediated anticancer innate immunity has also emerged in...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-10-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/21/7820 |
| _version_ | 1797550161671487488 |
|---|---|
| author | Natasha Ustyanovska Avtenyuk Nienke Visser Edwin Bremer Valerie R. Wiersma |
| author_facet | Natasha Ustyanovska Avtenyuk Nienke Visser Edwin Bremer Valerie R. Wiersma |
| author_sort | Natasha Ustyanovska Avtenyuk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The advent of immunotherapy has had a major impact on the outcome and overall survival in many types of cancer. Current immunotherapeutic strategies typically aim to (re)activate anticancer T cell immunity, although the targeting of macrophage-mediated anticancer innate immunity has also emerged in recent years. Neutrophils, although comprising ≈ 60% of all white blood cells in the circulation, are still largely overlooked in this respect. Nevertheless, neutrophils have evident anticancer activity and can induce phagocytosis, trogocytosis, as well as the direct cytotoxic elimination of cancer cells. Furthermore, therapeutic tumor-targeting monoclonal antibodies trigger anticancer immune responses through all innate Fc-receptor expressing cells, including neutrophils. Indeed, the depletion of neutrophils strongly reduced the efficacy of monoclonal antibody treatment and increased tumor progression in various preclinical studies. In addition, the infusion of neutrophils in murine cancer models reduced tumor progression. However, evidence on the anticancer effects of neutrophils is fragmentary and mostly obtained in in vitro assays or murine models with reports on anticancer neutrophil activity in humans lagging behind. In this review, we aim to give an overview of the available knowledge of anticancer activity by neutrophils. Furthermore, we will describe strategies being explored for the therapeutic activation of anticancer neutrophil activity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:25:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-623e0796968846f8a4ed73238b778c44 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:25:35Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-623e0796968846f8a4ed73238b778c442023-11-20T18:05:52ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672020-10-012121782010.3390/ijms21217820The Neutrophil: The Underdog That Packs a Punch in the Fight against CancerNatasha Ustyanovska Avtenyuk0Nienke Visser1Edwin Bremer2Valerie R. Wiersma3Department of Hematology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1/DA13, 9713 GZ Groningen, The NetherlandsDepartment of Hematology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1/DA13, 9713 GZ Groningen, The NetherlandsDepartment of Hematology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1/DA13, 9713 GZ Groningen, The NetherlandsDepartment of Hematology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1/DA13, 9713 GZ Groningen, The NetherlandsThe advent of immunotherapy has had a major impact on the outcome and overall survival in many types of cancer. Current immunotherapeutic strategies typically aim to (re)activate anticancer T cell immunity, although the targeting of macrophage-mediated anticancer innate immunity has also emerged in recent years. Neutrophils, although comprising ≈ 60% of all white blood cells in the circulation, are still largely overlooked in this respect. Nevertheless, neutrophils have evident anticancer activity and can induce phagocytosis, trogocytosis, as well as the direct cytotoxic elimination of cancer cells. Furthermore, therapeutic tumor-targeting monoclonal antibodies trigger anticancer immune responses through all innate Fc-receptor expressing cells, including neutrophils. Indeed, the depletion of neutrophils strongly reduced the efficacy of monoclonal antibody treatment and increased tumor progression in various preclinical studies. In addition, the infusion of neutrophils in murine cancer models reduced tumor progression. However, evidence on the anticancer effects of neutrophils is fragmentary and mostly obtained in in vitro assays or murine models with reports on anticancer neutrophil activity in humans lagging behind. In this review, we aim to give an overview of the available knowledge of anticancer activity by neutrophils. Furthermore, we will describe strategies being explored for the therapeutic activation of anticancer neutrophil activity.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/21/7820neutrophilsgranulocytesimmunotherapycancerphagocytosiscytotoxicity |
| spellingShingle | Natasha Ustyanovska Avtenyuk Nienke Visser Edwin Bremer Valerie R. Wiersma The Neutrophil: The Underdog That Packs a Punch in the Fight against Cancer International Journal of Molecular Sciences neutrophils granulocytes immunotherapy cancer phagocytosis cytotoxicity |
| title | The Neutrophil: The Underdog That Packs a Punch in the Fight against Cancer |
| title_full | The Neutrophil: The Underdog That Packs a Punch in the Fight against Cancer |
| title_fullStr | The Neutrophil: The Underdog That Packs a Punch in the Fight against Cancer |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Neutrophil: The Underdog That Packs a Punch in the Fight against Cancer |
| title_short | The Neutrophil: The Underdog That Packs a Punch in the Fight against Cancer |
| title_sort | neutrophil the underdog that packs a punch in the fight against cancer |
| topic | neutrophils granulocytes immunotherapy cancer phagocytosis cytotoxicity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/21/7820 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT natashaustyanovskaavtenyuk theneutrophiltheunderdogthatpacksapunchinthefightagainstcancer AT nienkevisser theneutrophiltheunderdogthatpacksapunchinthefightagainstcancer AT edwinbremer theneutrophiltheunderdogthatpacksapunchinthefightagainstcancer AT valerierwiersma theneutrophiltheunderdogthatpacksapunchinthefightagainstcancer AT natashaustyanovskaavtenyuk neutrophiltheunderdogthatpacksapunchinthefightagainstcancer AT nienkevisser neutrophiltheunderdogthatpacksapunchinthefightagainstcancer AT edwinbremer neutrophiltheunderdogthatpacksapunchinthefightagainstcancer AT valerierwiersma neutrophiltheunderdogthatpacksapunchinthefightagainstcancer |