Figure 1.

A simplified schematic representation of tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) in promoting tumor metastasis. In the tumor microenvironment, tumor-derived factors can promote the recruitment, activation, and phenotypic differentiation of tumor-associated neutrophils (1). TANs can reverse migrate into the blood stream and can capture the circulating cancer cells, shedding from primary tumors through the induction of Neutrophil extracellular traps. NETs can further promote the invasion and migration of these captured tumor cells into the distant sites and shields them from cytotoxic lymphocytes (2). Tumor-derived factors further promote the development of pre-metastatic niches that facilities neutrophil infiltration and increased NET deposition (3).