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Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Their Role in Solid Tumor Progression

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Book cover Interaction of Immune and Cancer Cells

Abstract

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) are an important component of the tumor environment. Their role in tumor growth and progression has been debated for decades, with the current emphasis on survival benefits TIL appear to bestow on the host when present in situ as large aggregates of activated T and B cells. Gene signatures and protein profiling of TIL provide clues about their potential functions in the tumor, and correlations with clinicopathological tumor characteristics, clinical outcome, and patients’ survival data indicate that TIL exert influence on the disease progression, especially in colorectal carcinomas and breast cancer. At the same time, the recognition that TIL signatures vary in composition and with time, and that TIL interactions with the tumor cells are complex, calls for a more careful assessment of their prognostic significance. The mechanisms tumors utilize to subvert the host immune system are well-known. The balance between pro- and anti-tumor responses of TIL might be orchestrated by the tumor serving as a measure of its aggressiveness and potentially providing a key to selecting therapeutic strategies and to prognosis.

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Abbreviations

Ab:

Antibody

ADCC:

Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity

CFC:

Cytokine flow cytometry

CRC:

Colorectal cancer

CTL:

Cytolytic T cell

CTLA-4:

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4

DC:

Dendritic cells

ER:

Estrogen receptor

IGKC:

IgG kappa chain

MDSC:

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells

MHC:

Major histocompatibility complex

NK:

Natural killer cells

NSCLC:

Non-small cell lung cancer

PD-1:

Programmed cell death protein-1

PGE2:

Prostaglandin E2

PMN:

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils

TA:

Tumor-associated antigen

TCR:

T-cell receptor

TGF-β:

Transforming growth factor-β

Th cell:

T helper cell

TIL:

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes

TMA:

Tissue microarrays

Treg:

Regulatory T cells

VEGF:

Vascular endothelial growth factor

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 5117 Centre Avenue, Suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Theresa L. Whiteside

  2. Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 5117 Centre Avenue, Suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Theresa L. Whiteside

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  1. Theresa L. Whiteside
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Theresa L. Whiteside .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Medical Biology Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodz, Poland

    Magdalena Klink

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Wien

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Whiteside, T.L. (2014). Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Their Role in Solid Tumor Progression. In: Klink, M. (eds) Interaction of Immune and Cancer Cells. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1300-4_6

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