Heterogeneous Myeloid Cells in Tumors

SIMPLE SUMMARY: It is well known that lymphocytes play a key role in the immunosurveillance for tumors. Accumulating evidence indicates that myeloid cells also have a large impact on tumor development. The tumor-associated myeloid cells (TAMCs) are heterogeneous and exert distinct and even opposing effects on tumor cells and tumor microenvironment (TME). In addition, myeloid cells play a critical role in modulating the behavior of lymphocytes, resulting in immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive TME cues that stimulate or suppress tumor development. Based on the function of myeloid cells in tumors, there are pro-tumor and anti-tumor myeloid cells. They are involved in pleiotropic processes, including growth, survival, differentiation, stemness, invasiveness, dissemination and metastasis of tumor cells, angiogenesis, remodeling of TME, immunomodulation, and response to cancer therapy. Understanding the function and mechanism of TAMCs in tumors will shed light on uncovering novel therapy. ABSTRACT: Accumulating studies highlight a critical role of myeloid cells in cancer biology and therapy. The myeloid cells constitute the major components of tumor microenvironment (TME). The most studied tumor-associated myeloid cells (TAMCs) include monocytes, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), dendritic cells (DCs), cancer-related circulating neutrophils, tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). These heterogenous myeloid cells perform pro-tumor or anti-tumor function, exerting complex and even opposing effects on all stages of tumor development, such as malignant clonal evolution, growth, survival, invasiveness, dissemination and metastasis of tumor cells. TAMCs also reshape TME and tumor vasculature to favor tumor development. The main function of these myeloid cells is to modulate the behavior of lymphocytes, forming immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive TME cues. In addition, TAMCs play a critical role in modulating the response to cancer therapy. Targeting TAMCs is vigorously tested as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. This review briefly introduces the TAMC subpopulations and their function in tumor cells, TME, angiogenesis, immunomodulation, and cancer therapy.