title: Tumor-infiltrating granulocytic cells promote cancer cell dissemination.
abstract: Most studies aimed at understanding the link between inflammation and cancer progression have focused on macrophages. In a recent study published in PLoS Biology, Toh B et al (2011) Mesenchymal transition and dissemination of cancer cells is driven by myeloid-derived suppressor cells infiltrating the primary tumorPLoS Biol9 e1001162, we show that a subset of granulocytic cells already known to suppress antitumour immune responses also promotes cancer cell proliferation and metastasis by inducing epithelial to mesenchymal transition. This subset plays a key role in early dissemination of cancer cells throughout the body and may therefore represent a novel target for therapeutic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Singapore Immunology Network, BMSI-A-STAR, 8A Biomedical Grove, #04-06 Immunos, Singapore 138648.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Toh
authors.forename: Jp
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abastado