The Role of Mast Cells on Tumor Occurrence and Development / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

ABSTRACT

Mast cells are one of the major immune cells in the human body and best known for their role in allergy and anaphylaxis. The main structural characteristic of mast cells is that they contain a large number of basophilic granules, and the basophilic granules are rich in a variety of bioactive substances including histamine, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), tryptase, chymase and a diverse number of inflammatory mediators. Histamine is involved in the proliferation, migration and invasion of some kinds of cancer cells, and VEGF, FGF, MMP, tryptase and chymotryptase play a significant role in different stages of tumor angiogenesis. The release of various inflammatory mediators from mast cells can lead to inflammatory response at the site of tumor formation, and it is well known that chronic inflammation is a primary risk factor for cancer development and progression. Some studies have shown that a significantly increased number of mast cells can be detected in different tumor tissues. The active substances released by mastcells can stimulate tumor growth, tumor angiogenesis and promote tumor metastasis. Furthermore, the tumor microenvironment also plays an important role in regulating the recruitment of mast cells to tumor tissues and the maturation and activation of mast cells. In this article, we will review the latest progress in the effects of mast cells on tumor growth, tumor angiogenesis, and tumor microenvironment on mast cellactivation.