A study coordinated by Domenico Mattoscio and Antonio Recchiuti (Laboratory of Molecular Medicine) was recently published in the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research.

This study describes a novel mechanism for reducing the growth of human papilloma virus (HPV)-tumors through a modulation of neutrophil activities.

Accumulating evidence indicated that neutrophils play a central role in tumorigenesis Therefore, novel approaches aimed at their re-education to anti-tumor phenotypes may lead to beneficial effects. In the present study, the authors demonstrate that treatment with Resolvin D1 (RvD1), a lipid mediator that regulates the immune-inflammatory response, reduces tumor growth in vivo and in vitro by stimulating neutrophils. In addition, flow cytometry experiments have shown how the neutrophils treated with RvD1 are able to recruit other key immune cells with antitumor activity, the monocytes, in tumor microenvironment. Significantly, bioinformatic analysis of cervical cancer patients’ tissues, the most frequently HPV-induced cancer, revealed a better prognosis for patients with higher level of tumor-infiltrating monocytes. Therefore, RvD1 reduces tumor growth by activating a protective neutrophil-dependent recruitment of anti-tumor monocytes.

These findings demonstrate the efficacy of RvD1 as an innovative approach which stimulates neutrophils reprogramming to an anti-cancer phenotype, able to restrain tumor growth.

Link to the article: https://jeccr.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s13046-021-01937-3.pdf

Resolvin D1 reduces cancer growth stimulating a protective neutrophil-dependent recruitment of anti-tumor monocytes.

Domenico Mattoscio, Elisa Isopi, Alessia Lamolinara, Sara Patruno, Alessandro Medda, Federica De Cecco, Susanna Chiocca, Manuela Iezzi, Mario Romano, Antonio Recchiuti.

Contacts: Domenico Mattoscio, ph.: 0871.541417 - email: d.mattoscio@unich.it