Plastic Heterogeneity of Innate Lymphoid Cells in Cancer

Abstract

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) fulfill important protective and reparative functions, and have thus been implicated in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Dysregulation of their activation is associated with several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The current literature on the role of ILCs in cancer is limited and our knowledge is therefore incomplete. Indeed, ILCs have been separately associated with tumor-promoting as well as tumor-suppressing activities, raising the need to understand the mechanisms by which these cells regulate tumor growth and progression toward a rational design of therapeutic approaches. We focus here on the heterogeneity of ILCs and discuss currently known mechanisms of their plasticity.

Keywords: cancer; immunity; inflammation; innate lymphoid cells; tumor microenvironment; tumor stroma.