2020/11/16 by Suzanne Ostrand‐Rosenberg · 1 citation
Immunology and Microbiology · Medicine · #Immune cells in cancer #Inflammatory Biomarkers in Disease Prognosis #Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
paper · pdf · doi:10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-042120-105240
openalex publication_date 2020/11/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Immature myeloid cells at varied stages of differentiation, known as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), are present in virtually all cancer patients. MDSC are profoundly immune-suppressive cells that impair adaptive and innate antitumor immunity and promote tumor progression through nonimmune mechanisms. Their widespread presence combined with their multitude of protumor activities makes MDSC a major obstacle to cancer immunotherapies. MDSC are derived from progenitor cells in the bone marrow and traffic through the blood to infiltrate solid tumors. Their accumulation and suppressive potency are driven by multiple tumor- and host-secreted proinflammatory factors and adrenergic signals that act via diverse but sometimes overlapping transcriptional pathways. MDSC also accumulate in response to the chronic inflammation and lipid deposition characteristic of obesity and contribute to the more rapid progression of cancers in obese individuals. This article summarizes the key aspects of tumor-induced MDSC with a focus on recent progress in the MDSC field.