1. Figure 1 Key elements of cancer-related inflammation
Figure 1 | Key elements of cancer-related inflammation. Exposure of nonmalignant tissue to a variety of stressors leads to infiltration by inflammatory cells, most of which are innate immune effectors. Chronic inflammation can promote the development of precancerous lesions, which are often held in check by local immune effectors. The transition to a fully malignant phenotype is characterized by a change in the infiltrate that is dominated by immunosuppressive cell types, such as macrophages of the M2 phenotype, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and regulatory T cells (Treg). The metastatic spread of malignant cells occurs in the context of a further deterioration in local immune control. However, central memory lymphocytes educated against cancer neoantigens in tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) might control the primary tumour, and these cells can also circulate and mediate immunosurveillance of individual metastases. DC, dendritic cell.
Fridman, W. H. et al. (2017) The immune contexture in cancer prognosis and treatment
Nat. Rev. Clin. Oncol. doi: /nrclinonc