Probiotics in Counteracting the Role of Neutrophils in Cancer Metastasis

Abstract

Neutrophils are known for their role geared towards pathogen clearance by different mechanisms that they initiate, primarily by the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). However, their immune-surveillance capacity accompanied with plasticity in existing as interchangeable subsets, discovered recently, has revealed their property to contribute to complex cancer pathologies including tumor initiation, growth, angiogenesis and metastasis. Although there is a growing body of evidence suggesting a critical balance between the protumoral and antitumoral neutrophil phenotypes, an in-depth signaling pathway analysis would aid in determination of anticipatory, diagnostic and therapeutic targets. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the potential pathways involved in neutrophil-triggered cancer metastasis and introduces the influence of the microbial load and avenues for probiotic intervention.

Keywords

• neutrophils
• NETs
• cancer
• metastasis
• probiotics