MUC1-mediated induction of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a critical role in promoting immune tolerance and disease growth. The mechanism by which tumor cells evoke the expansion of MDSCs in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has not been well described. We have demonstrated that patients with AML exhibit increased presence of MDSCs in their peripheral blood, in comparison with normal controls.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells as effectors of immune suppression in cancer.

The tumor microenvironment consists of an immunosuppressive niche created by the complex interactions between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells. A critical component of this environment are myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), a heterogeneous group of immature myeloid cells arrested at different stages of differentiation and expanded in response to a variety of tumor factors. MDSCs exert diverse effects in modulating the interactions between immune effector cells and the malignant cells.