Frenemies in the Microenvironment: Harnessing Mast Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy.

ABSTRACT: Tumor development, progression, and resistance to therapies are influenced by the interactions between tumor cells and the surrounding microenvironment, comprising fibroblasts, immune cells, and extracellular matrix proteins. In this context, mast cells (MCs) have recently emerged as important players. Yet, their role is still controversial, as MCs can exert pro- or anti-tumor functions in different tumor types depending on their location within or around the tumor mass and their interaction with other components of the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we describe the main aspects of MC biology and the different contribution of MCs in promoting or inhibiting cancer growth. We then discuss possible therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting MCs for cancer immunotherapy, which include:

SUBMITTER: Sulsenti R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10303176 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature