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. 2022 May 3;11(1):22. doi: 10.1038/s41389-022-00398-3

Fig. 4. PMN-MDSC travel in clusters with CTC and stromal cells in the bloodstream.

Fig. 4

PMN-MDSC fuel the proliferation and survival of CTC by providing them with energy-rich lipid vesicles. The proximity of PMN-MDSC to CTC promotes the plasticity of CTC and increases their metastatic potential. In the TME, PMN-MDSCs accelerate their own lipid transfer, uptake, and storage of lipids through increased expression of FATP2, HILDPA, and LOX1 proteins. CTC circulating tumor cell, FATP2 fatty acid transporter protein 2, FFA free fatty acids, HILDPA hypoxia-inducible lipid droplet-associated protein, LOX1 lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor.