The "double-edged sword" effect of cytokines in cancer: coexisting opportunities and challenges.

ABSTRACT: As a key signaling molecule network in the tumor immune microenvironment, cytokines mediate intercellular communication through mechanisms such as autocrine and paracrine, exhibiting a significant "double-edged sword" effect during tumor initiation and progression. The dynamic regulation of this dual effect is influenced by the dependence on concentration, the variability within the tumor immune microenvironment, and the stages of tumor progression, ultimately representing the prolonged co-evolutionary result between tumors and the immune system. Cytokines, as a vital element of the immune microenvironment within tumors, influence cancer promotion by creating intricate networks. Therefore, disrupting this balance to alter the tumor growth environment is of great significance for achieving

SUBMITTER: Yin X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12672462 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature