The consequence of progenitor neutrophil evacuation into the periphery and how neutrophil differentiation may affect the tumor microenvironment in solid tumors
Description
Recent research shows neutrophil progenitors and immature neutrophils appearing in the periphery in response to pathogens and cancer. The tumor microenvironment (TME) may take advantage of neutrophil progenitor susceptibility by signaling for the neutrophil to support tumor growth. This project tests the hypothesis that neutrophil progenitors experiencing the periphery during cancer will take on unique phenotypic and functional states depending on which tissue they are transferred into, and to which tissues they transit to post-transfer. An adoptive transfer method was used where congenically marked CD45.2+ neutrophil progenitors are extracted from donor mice to be transferred into CD45.1+ recipient mice. Two neutrophil progenitor populations were transferred: total bone marrow neutrophils (Ly6G+), and pre-neus (CD117+Ly6G+). Cells were transferred into the blood of tumor and non-tumor bearing mice, and into the tumor of tumor bearing mice. After 1 day, tissues were isolated, and flow cytometry was performed to quantitate adoptively transferred cells in bone marrow, blood, spleen, tumor and lymph nodes. Adoptively transferred cells were further analyzed for their ability to produce ROS and superoxide, an anti-microbial function of neutrophils. Preliminary results show that the site of adoptive transfer affects the accumulation of adoptively transferred cells in tissues. Together, these data will help us understand how tissue environments directly shape neutrophil phenotype and function. If we identify tissue environments influencing neutrophil functionality and expression, especially if promoting pro-tumoral functions, we can further identify pathways and signals to block therapeutically. This method may depress the tumor’s rate of survival, increasing patient survival rates.
Citation Information
Branson, Mariah; Schroeder, Carolyn; and Meyer, Melissa A., "The consequence of progenitor neutrophil evacuation into the periphery and how neutrophil differentiation may affect the tumor microenvironment in solid tumors" (2026). Office of Research DMU Research Symposium. 65.
https://digitalcommons.dmu.edu/researchsymposium/2025rs/2025abstracts/65
The consequence of progenitor neutrophil evacuation into the periphery and how neutrophil differentiation may affect the tumor microenvironment in solid tumors
Recent research shows neutrophil progenitors and immature neutrophils appearing in the periphery in response to pathogens and cancer. The tumor microenvironment (TME) may take advantage of neutrophil progenitor susceptibility by signaling for the neutrophil to support tumor growth. This project tests the hypothesis that neutrophil progenitors experiencing the periphery during cancer will take on unique phenotypic and functional states depending on which tissue they are transferred into, and to which tissues they transit to post-transfer. An adoptive transfer method was used where congenically marked CD45.2+ neutrophil progenitors are extracted from donor mice to be transferred into CD45.1+ recipient mice. Two neutrophil progenitor populations were transferred: total bone marrow neutrophils (Ly6G+), and pre-neus (CD117+Ly6G+). Cells were transferred into the blood of tumor and non-tumor bearing mice, and into the tumor of tumor bearing mice. After 1 day, tissues were isolated, and flow cytometry was performed to quantitate adoptively transferred cells in bone marrow, blood, spleen, tumor and lymph nodes. Adoptively transferred cells were further analyzed for their ability to produce ROS and superoxide, an anti-microbial function of neutrophils. Preliminary results show that the site of adoptive transfer affects the accumulation of adoptively transferred cells in tissues. Together, these data will help us understand how tissue environments directly shape neutrophil phenotype and function. If we identify tissue environments influencing neutrophil functionality and expression, especially if promoting pro-tumoral functions, we can further identify pathways and signals to block therapeutically. This method may depress the tumor’s rate of survival, increasing patient survival rates.
