AUTHOR=Massara Matteo , Persico Pasquale , Bonavita Ornella , Mollica Poeta Valeria , Locati Massimo , Simonelli Matteo , Bonecchi Raffaella 

TITLE=Neutrophils in Gliomas

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2017.01349

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2017.01349

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cells and are the first recruited to inflammatory sites. Neutrophils are an important component of the tumor stroma and can exert both anti-tumoral and pro-tumoral activities, depending on their maturation and activation state. In human gliomas, the number of circulating and infiltrating neutrophils correlates with the severity of the disease, indicating a prognostic and possible pro-tumoral role for these leukocytes. In glioma preclinical models, neutrophils promote tumor growth and orchestrate the resistance to anti-angiogenic therapies. Nevertheless, recent data indicate that neutrophils can be activated to directly kill tumor cells or to orchestrate the anti-tumoral response. Here, we review current knowledge about the role of neutrophils in glioma and their possible involvement in new strategies to improve current cancer therapies.</p>