Myeloid-derived suppressor cells in inflammation: uncovering cell subsets with enhanced immunosuppressive functions

Although originally described in tumor-bearing hosts, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) have been detected under numerous pathological situations that cause enhanced demand of myeloid cells. Thus, MDSC might be part of a conserved response to different endogenous and exogenous stress signals, including inflammation. Two processes are fundamental for MDSC biology: differentiation from myeloid progenitors and full activation of their immune regulatory program by factors released from activated T cells or present in the microenvironment conditioned by either tumor growth or inflammation. How these two processes are controlled and linked is still an open question. In this issue of the European Journal of Immunology, a paper demonstrates that a combination of the known inflammatory molecules, IFN-gamma and LPS, sustains MDSC expansion and activation while suppressing differentiation of DC from bone marrow precursors. Moreover, this paper contributes to defining the cell subsets that possess immunoregulatory properties within the broad population of CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) cells, often altogether referred to as MDSC.