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Balakrishnan et al. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2022;8:27 Journal of Cancer
DOI: 10.20517/2394-4722.2022.33
Metastasis and Treatment

Review Open Access

Role of myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment

Arpita Balakrishnan, Mohini Vig, Shweta Dubey
Amity Institute of Virology and Immunology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh (AUUP), Noida 201303, India.
Correspondence to: Dr. Shweta Dubey, Amity Institute of Virology & Immunology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh (AUUP),
Noida 201303, India. E-mail: sdubey@amity.edu

How to cite this article: Balakrishnan A, Vig M, Dubey S. Role of myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment. J Cancer
Metastasis Treat 2022;8:27. https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2394-4722.2022.33

Received: 6 Apr 2022 First Decision: 11 May 2022 Revised: 28 May 2022 Accepted: 4 Jul 2022 Published: 26 Jul 2022

Academic Editor: Lucio Miele Copy Editor: Fangling Lan Production Editor: Fangling Lan

Abstract
The dynamic interplay between tumor cells and immune cells in the microenvironment plays a crucial role in
determining disease severity and therapeutic outcome in cancer. Myeloid cells are the most abundantly available
cell population in the tumor microenvironment. Myeloid cells have been shown to exist in diverse phenotypes and
play both antitumoral and protumoral roles in cancer. Understanding the biology of myeloid cells can lay the
foundation for the development of therapeutic strategies aimed at enhancing the antitumoral role of myeloid cells.
This article presents an overview of the role of myeloid cells in tumor development and various mechanisms by
which myeloid cells aid tumor progression. Existing drugs against cancer that utilize myeloid cells and the role of
myeloid cells in drug resistance are also discussed.

Keywords: Myeloid cells, tumor, cancer, tumor microenvironment, tumor-associated macrophages, dendritic cells,
tumor-associated neutrophils, myeloid-derived suppressor cells

INTRODUCTION
Tumor progression is modulated by genetic and epigenetic changes in tumor cells. The mutual and dynamic
crosstalk with the components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) also play a substantial role in tumor
[1]
progression . As defined by the National Cancer Institute, “TME is a group of normal cells, molecules, and
blood vessels that surround and aid in the growth of the tumor cell. Tumor development tends to shape the
microenvironment, which in turn affects the way a tumor grows and spreads” . TME is comprised of
[2]
proliferating tumor cells, tumor stroma, blood vessels, recruited immune cells, a variety of associated tissue

© The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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