title: Lymphocytes in cancer development: polarization towards pro-tumor immunity.
abstract: The classic view that the role of immune cells in cancer is primarily one of tumor rejection has been supplanted by a more complex view of leukocytes having both pro- and anti-tumor properties. This shift is due to the now well recognized capabilities of several myeloid cell types that foster pro-tumor programming of premalignant tissue, as well as the discovery that subsets of leukocytes also suppress development and effector functions of lymphocytes important for mediating anti-tumor immunity. In this review, we focus on the underappreciated role that T lymphocytes play in promoting tumor development. This includes, in addition to the role of T regulatory cells, a role for natural killer T cells and CD4(+) T helper cells in suppressing anti-tumor immunity and promoting cancer growth and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ruffell
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: DeNardo
authors.forename: Nesrine I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Affara
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Coussens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines