Harnessing myeloid cell plasticity for cancer therapy

Myeloid cells have a multifaceted role in cancer, promoting tumor progression through angiogenesis, metastasis and immune suppression, as well as stimulating antitumor immunity. Traditionally, this dual functionality was attributed to cell heterogeneity, but it appears that myeloid cell plasticity is a more fundamental cancer trait. In this Review, we discuss two types of plasticity that enable myeloid cells to adjust to the tumor environment: differentiation plasticity, characterized by increased myelopoiesis and shifting differentiation patterns, and functional plasticity, marked by the adoption of pathological activation states. We assess the challenges to myeloid cell targeting in cancer and propose adaptable therapeutic strategies to overcome them.