Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 14, 2026
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Quantifying Myeloperoxidase-DNA and Neutrophil Elastase-DNA Complexes from Neutrophil Extracellular Traps by Using a Modified Sandwich ELISA
Published on: May 12, 2023
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The complex interplay between neutrophils and cancer
Andrea Rakic1,2,3, Paul Beaudry1,2,4, Douglas J Mahoney5,6,7,8
1Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Cell and Tissue Research
|February 11, 2018
Summary
Neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, play a dual role in cancer. While often linked to tumor progression, they also exhibit anticancer effects, suggesting potential therapeutic targeting.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Neutrophils are key innate immune cells rapidly responding to infection and injury.
- They release cytokines and toxic molecules to combat pathogens and initiate inflammation.
- Emerging research indicates neutrophils have complex and often contradictory roles in cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the multifaceted roles of neutrophils in cancer.
- To explore neutrophil populations associated with tumor promotion and progression.
- To examine documented antitumor functions of neutrophils.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of scientific studies on neutrophils in cancer.
- Analysis of research investigating neutrophil involvement in tumor growth and metastasis.
- Synthesis of findings on both pro-tumor and anti-tumorigenic neutrophil activities.
Main Results:
- Neutrophils are implicated in promoting tumor growth and metastasis in numerous studies.
- Conversely, other research highlights neutrophils' capacity to exert anticancer effects.
- The collective evidence points to a complex, context-dependent function of neutrophils in cancer.
Conclusions:
- Neutrophils exhibit diverse roles in cancer biology, acting as both promoters and inhibitors.
- Understanding these divergent functions is crucial for cancer research.
- Targeting specific neutrophil functions presents a promising avenue for novel cancer therapies.
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