The Controversial Role of Intestinal Mast Cells in Colon Cancer

Cells. 2023 Jan 31;12(3):459. doi: 10.3390/cells12030459.

Abstract

Mast cells are tissue-resident sentinels involved in large number of physiological and pathological processes, such as infection and allergic response, thanks to the expression of a wide array of receptors. Mast cells are also frequently observed in a tumor microenvironment, suggesting their contribution in the transition from chronic inflammation to cancer. In particular, the link between inflammation and colorectal cancer development is becoming increasingly clear. It has long been recognized that patients with inflammatory bowel disease have an increased risk of developing colon cancer. Evidence from experimental animals also implicates the innate immune system in the development of sporadically occurring intestinal adenomas, the precursors to colorectal cancer. However, the exact role of mast cells in tumor initiation and growth remains controversial: mast cell-derived mediators can either exert pro-tumorigenic functions, causing the progression and spread of the tumor, or anti-tumorigenic functions, limiting the tumor's growth. Here, we review the multifaceted and often contrasting findings regarding the role of the intestinal mast cells in colon cancer progression focusing on the molecular pathways mainly involved in the regulation of mast cell plasticity/functions during tumor progression.

Keywords: colorectal cancer; mast cells; tumor microenvironment.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Colonic Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases*
  • Mast Cells / metabolism
  • Tumor Microenvironment

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC IG-24955) and the Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti (2020-366).