免疫细胞与肿瘤微环境

肿瘤细胞和免疫细胞间的相互作用一直是肿瘤生物学关注的热点.流行病学与临床研究均表明,炎症反应与肿瘤的发生发展存在密切关联,但是其中的分子作用机理和遗传学机制尚未完全阐明.研究显示,T淋巴细胞、巨噬细胞、树突状细胞、巨大细胞等多种免疫细胞会浸润到肿瘤微环境中,协同调控肿瘤生长、免疫逃逸和侵袭转移.本文就近年对肿瘤微环境中免疫细胞功能研究的进展进行综述.正确认识这些免疫细胞在肿瘤发生发展中的作用,对于发展更优的肿瘤免疫治疗手段具有十分重要意义.

Immune Cells in Tumor Microenvironment

Both epidemiological and clinical evidences have indicated a strong association between inflammation and cancers. However, the molecular and genetic relationships between inflammation and tumor just begin to be understood. Accumulating data have established the notion that tumor microenvironment is largely orchestrated by the infiltrated immune cells including T lymphocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, and mast cells. These cells are recruited to the tumor stroma and co-operate with each other, either to facilitate the initiation, invasion, migration and metastasis of tumor, or to elicit the anti-tumor immunity. Here, we review recent progress on how these immune cells function in tumor microenvironment. Understanding this issue is critical for developing novel strategies of tumor immune therapy.