Pathways connecting inflammation and cancer.
Chronic and persistent inflammation contributes to cancer development and can predispose to carcinogenesis. Infection-driven inflammations are involved in the pathogenesis of approximately 15-20% of human tumors. However, even tumors that are not epidemiologically linked to pathogens are characterized by the presence of an inflammatory component in their microenvironment. Hallmarks of cancer-associated inflammation include the presence of infiltrating leukocytes, cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, lipid messengers, and matrix-degrading enzymes. Schematically, two interrelated pathways link inflammation and cancer: (1) genetic events leading to neoplastic transformation promote the construction of an inflammatory milieu; (2) tumor-infiltrating leukocytes, in particular macrophages, are prime regulators of cancer inflammation. Thus, an intrinsic pathway of inflammation (driven in tumor cells), as well as an extrinsic pathway (in tumor-infiltrating leukocytes) have been described and both contribute to tumor progression.
Allavena
Paola
P
Istituto Clinico Humanitas IRCCS, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
Garlanda
Cecilia
C
Borrello
Maria Grazia
MG
Sica
Antonio
A
Mantovani
Alberto
A
D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009857:Oncogenes; D015398:Signal Transduction