Biology of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells

The accumulation of highly immunosuppressive myeloid cells known as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) is one of the immunological hallmarks of cancer. MDSCs are a heterogeneous population of bone marrow-derived immature myeloid cells that accumulate in the blood, peripheral lymphoid organs, and tumor tissues, which correlates with a poor clinical outcome in cancer patients. The main feature of MDSCs is their ability to suppress antitumor responses leading to tumor progression. Thus, MDSCs represent an attractive therapeutic target to enhance antitumor responses in cancer.