Neutrophil dynamics in the tumor microenvironment
Amanda J. McFarlane, … , Seth B. Coffelt, Leo M. Carlin
Amanda J. McFarlane, … , Seth B. Coffelt, Leo M. Carlin
Published March 15, 2021
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2021;131(6):e143759. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI143759.
View: Text | PDF
Review Series

Neutrophil dynamics in the tumor microenvironment

Abstract

The tumor microenvironment profoundly influences the behavior of recruited leukocytes and tissue-resident immune cells. These immune cells, which inherently have environmentally driven plasticity necessary for their roles in tissue homeostasis, dynamically interact with tumor cells and the tumor stroma and play critical roles in determining the course of disease. Among these immune cells, neutrophils were once considered much more static within the tumor microenvironment; however, some of these earlier assumptions were the product of the notorious difficulty in manipulating neutrophils in vitro. Technological advances that allow us to study neutrophils in context are now revealing the true roles of neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment. Here we discuss recent data generated by some of these tools and how these data might be synthesized into more elegant ways of targeting these powerful and abundant effector immune cells in the clinic.

Authors

Amanda J. McFarlane, Frédéric Fercoq, Seth B. Coffelt, Leo M. Carlin

×

Figure 2

Overlap in state-of-the-art TME imaging approaches.

Options: View larger image (or click on image) Download as PowerPoint
Overlap in state-of-the-art TME imaging approaches. Current state-of-the...
Current state-of-the-art high-resolution imaging techniques allow highly multiplexed imaging in two dimensions with mass imaging or CODEX (Akoya Biosciences) and, to a lesser extent, spectral imaging. It is possible to image large volumes of tissues and even whole organs in three dimensions using tissue clearing techniques in combination with light sheet, confocal, or multiphoton microscopy, but multiplexing options are currently sparse. To capture cell dynamics in vivo, imaging windows can be implanted in mice to image cells in situ in real time. However, tissue penetration and multiplexing options are again currently limited. The use of transparent organisms such as zebrafish embryos and the combination of volumetric imaging/intravital microscopy with spectral imaging could be a way to circumvent some of these limitations.