Neutrophils fan cancer's flames

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Abstract

A new study published in this issue of   looks into the crosstalk between inflammation and cancer (Antonio , 2015). By using a zebrafish melanoma model, the authors reveal that neutrophils recruited at the wound site directly interact with cells undergoing oncogenic transformation and provide them with a paracrine proliferative support. Importantly, the authors demonstrate the clinical relevance of this association, showing that neutrophil infiltration has an independent prognostic value for human melanoma. This study reinforces the notion that inflammation flames carcinogenesis, which might have important implications for the improvement of antitumour therapies.