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. 2018 Feb 20;9:113. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00113

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Copyright © 2018 Rosales.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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Neutrophils in the circulation display different phenotypes. Mature (normal) neutrophils (PMN) leave the bone marrow and display the classical pro-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties of these cells. It is thought that these PMN can migrate into tumors and display an anti-tumor (N1) phenotype. In tumor-bearing mice, immature neutrophils, such as band cells, also leave the bone marrow into the circulation. These “low-density” neutrophils include granulocytic myeloid derived suppressor cells (G-MDSC) and neutrophils with immunosuppressive properties. These cells can infiltrate tumors and display pro-tumor (N2) phenotype. Under the influence of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β, normal PMN can change into “low-density” neutrophils. The exact origin of recruited neutrophils is not known. Also, it is not clear if N1 cells can change into N2 cells and vice versa under the influence of the tumor microenvironment.