The Emerging Role of Neutrophils in Cancer: Molecular Aspects of Plasticity and Potential Therapeutic Targets
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2025 | Viewed by 5695
Special Issue Editor
Interests: immunology; cell metabolism; inflammation & infection; cancer; redox biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Neutrophils are the most abundant population of immune cells and perform a variety of functions, including neutrophil extracellular trap formation, phagocytosis, and the release of proteolytic enzymes, cytokines, chemokines, and immunosuppressive molecules. These functions not only serve as a defense mechanism against inflammation and infection but also regulate adaptive immunity in cancers. Recent research has highlighted the growing relevance of neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment, where they can have both pro- and anti-tumor effects, but their precise role remains unclear. Due to their rapid turnover from bone marrow and easy recruitment to metastatic sites, neutrophils can express a unique transcription signature that can render them either pro- or anti-tumorogenic. Tumor-infiltrating neutrophils induce the expression of chemokine receptors and molecules such as arginase 1 (ARG1), PDL-1, and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (RONS). To fully understand the molecular aspects of neutrophil function in tumors, further research is necessary, with a focus on signaling pathways, gene expression profiles, and molecular interactions within the tumor microenvironment. Investigating the impact of factors such as hypoxia and inflammation on neutrophil function in tumors may also yield valuable insights. This Special Issue invites researchers to contribute their work on the intriguing molecular aspects of neutrophil plasticity as pro- and anti-metastatic immune cells in various cancers, with the potential to develop new strategies for targeting neutrophils in cancer therapy and improving patient outcomes.
Dr. Deepika Awasthi
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- neutrophils
- cancer
- tumor microenvironment
- tumor-associated neutrophils
- innate immunity
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