Table 1.
Major functions of the innate immune cells in both inflammation and cancer
| Inflammatory cell | Immune function | Role in cancer |
| Neutrophil | Secretion of cytokines/chemokines to modulate other cells in the immune response | Maintenance of pro-angiogenic phenotype[242] |
| Release of cytotoxic granules | Suppression of anti-tumor immunity[243] | |
| Phagocytosis | Promotion of metastasis[244] | |
| Mast cell | Release of cytotoxic granules | Suppression of anti-tumor immunity[245] |
| Enhancement of immune cell recruitment | Stimulation of angiogenesis[152] | |
| Permeabilization of blood vessels | Direct stimulation of cancer cell growth[246] | |
| Secretion of mitogenic factors[157] | ||
| Macrophage | Phagocytosis | |
| Promotion of T-lymphocyte activation | ||
| M1 | Initiation of immune cell response | |
| Antigen presentation | ||
| M2 | Wound repair | |
| Immunosuppression | ||
| Tissue remodeling | ||
| Resolution of immune response | ||
| TAM | Secretion of Arginase-1[19] | |
| Support of Treg activation[247,248] | ||
| Promotion of angiogenesis[16] | ||
| Enhancement of tumor metastasis[17] | ||
| MDSC | Suppression of NKC and T-lymphocyte activation | Production of ROS[22] |
| Secretion of peroxynitrite[23] | ||
| Secretion of Arginase-1[24,25] | ||
| Induction of Treg[26] | ||
| Depletion of cysteine[27] | ||
| NKC | Release of cytotoxic granules | Tumor cytotoxicity[28] |
| DC | Antigen presentation |
TAM: Tumor-associated macrophage; MDSC: Myeloid-derived suppressor cell; NKC: Natural killer cell; DC: Dendritic cells.