Table 2.
Role of basophils in tumor microenvironment.
| Tumor type | Effect on cancer | Observed role | Mechanism | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melanoma | Anti-tumoral | Treg depletion results in infiltration of basophils and CD8+ T cells in the TME that promote tumor rejection in mice IL-33-activated mouse basophils induce melanoma cell death in vitro |
CCL3/CCL4 secretion by intratumoral basophils induces CD8+ T cell recruitment in TME Release of Granzyme-B |
(270) (67) |
| Ovarian cancer | Anti-tumoral | Activated signature (CD123, CCR3, FcϵRI, CD63, CD203c gene expression) in tumor-resident basophils is associated with improved outcomes in these patients | NA | (248, 261) |
| Lung cancer | Anti-tumoral | Higher expression of basophil markers (CD123, CCR3, and FcϵRI) in tumors is associated with improved overall survival in lung cancer patients |
NA | (261) |
| Pro-tumoral | Lung inflammatory cytokines trigger basophil-induced M2 polarization | Basophil secretion of IL-4/IL-13 | (47) | |
| Skin cancer | Anti-tumoral | Topic exposure to DNA-damaging carcinogen DMBA promotes tumor-protective IgE response through skin infiltrating basophils | Possible release of cytotoxic soluble mediators | (276) |
| Pro-tumoral | Skin inflammation by TPA, MC903 or R848 induced IgE/FcϵRI-signalling in basophils promote epithelial carcinogenesis | TSLP/IL-3-mediated upregulation of CXCR4 on basophils | (97) | |
| Gastric cancer | Pro-tumoral | Increased tumor-infiltrating basophils in tissues from gastric cancer patients are negatively associated with therapy response | Increased tumor M2 macrophage infiltration | (255, 277) |
| Pancreatic cancer | Pro-tumoral | IL-4-secreting basophils are significantly increased in TDLNs of PDAC patients, correlate with predominant Th2 inflammation and represent an independent prognostic factor of poorer survival after surgery | Recruitment in TDLN mediated by alternatively activated monocyte-secreted CCL7/MCP3 | (80) |
DMBA, 7,12-dimethylbenz [a] anthracene; MC903, vitamin D3 analogue; NA, not assessed; PDAC, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma;R848, resiquimod; TPA, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.