Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 4, 2025

Neutrophil Isolation and Analysis to Determine their Role in Lymphoma Cell Sensitivity to Therapeutic Agents
Published on: March 25, 2016
Neutrophil: A New Player in Metastatic Cancers
Mengyue Wu1, Mutian Ma1, Zhenya Tan1
1Department of Pathophysiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
Abstract:
The interaction between cancer cells and immune cells is important for the cancer development. However, much attention has been given to T cells and macrophages. Being the most abundant leukocytes in the blood, the functions of neutrophils in cancer have been underdetermined. They have long been considered an "audience" in the development of cancer. However, emerging evidence indicate that neutrophils are a heterogeneous population with plasticity, and subpopulation of neutrophils (such as low density neutrophils, polymorphonuclear-myeloid-derived suppressor cells) are actively involved in cancer growth and metastasis. Here, we review the current understanding of the role of neutrophils in cancer development, with a specific focus on their pro-metastatic functions. We also discuss the potential and challenges of neutrophils as therapeutic targets. A better understanding the role of neutrophils in cancer will discover new mechanisms of metastasis and develop new immunotherapies by targeting neutrophils.
Related Concept Videos
Metastasis
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Differentiation of Common Myeloid Progenitor Cells
The Tumor Microenvironment
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia

