Neutrophils diminish T-cell immunity to foster gastric cancer progression: the role of GM-CSF/PD-L1/PD-1 signalling pathway

Neutrophils are the predominant leucocytes in the blood and act as the first line of host defence against invading pathogens. Neutrophils have also been shown to play important roles in the other pathological conditions, including cancer. In the past decade, many efforts have been made to clarify the roles of neutrophils in cancer development and progression. It appears that neutrophils have both antitumour and protumour functions.1 On one hand, neutrophils can directly kill tumour cells by releasing antimicrobial and cytotoxic contents that are prestored in their granules. Neutrophils can induce apoptosis in tumour cells and reduce tumour growth when administrated into tumour-bearing animals. Neutrophils are regarded as important effector cells for monoclonal antibody (mAb)-mediated immunotherapy, where they interact with mAb through the Fc receptor, leading to antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity. Neutrophils also have antimetastatic activity. In mouse models of cancer metastasis, neutrophils at the premetastatic site produce cytotoxic...

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