Neutrophil--mediated cytotoxicity against tumour cells: state of art

When activated by a variety of stimuli, human neutrophils become capable of lysing tumour cells. The main physiologic cytotoxic trigger in neutrophils is represented by the surface receptor for the Fc domain of IgG (FcR). This receptor confers specificity to the target recognition by neutrophils and cooperates with adhesion glycoproteins (CD11-CD18) in the neutrophil-target conjugate formation. Although the FcR-dependent pathways of signal transduction remain to be clarified, the neutrophil responses involve both the production of oxidants and the release of granule constituents. These molecules are responsible for the target lysis, whose extent also depends on the target structural and metabolic characteristics. The use of monoclonal antibodies specific for tumour cell antigens, coupled with appropriate cytokines, may provide rational basis for designing trials to employ the neutrophil cytotoxic potential as adjuvant therapy in cancer patients.