Fig 1.
The tumor immune microenvironment.
Key cell types within the innate immune system, adaptive immune system and tumor stroma, as well as the tumor vasculature and innervation, are portrayed in this rendering of the tumor immune microenvironment (TiME). A. Immune-inflamed TiME, replete with various immune cell subtypes. B. Immune-desert TiME, lacking proper immune recruitment. C. Immune-excluded/altered TiME, recruiting immune cells but preventing their infiltration. Created using BioRender, https://BioRender.com/mbxvkmp. CAF, cancer-associated fibroblast.
Fig 2.
Immune induction of tumor cell plasticity. Shown is an overview of mechanisms by which immune cells alter tumor cell phenotype and activity. A. Cytotoxic cell induction of dynamic tumor changes. B. Myeloid cell modulation of tumor cells. C. The role of B cells in shaping tumor cell plasticity and the TiME. Created using BioRender, https://BioRender.com/d6ler25. EMT, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; METs, macrophage extracellular traps; Nabs, natural antibodies; NETs, neutrophil extracellular traps.
Table 1.
Examples of immune cell reprogramming resulting from crosstalk with cells in the tumor immune microenvironment.