B cells are often left out of conversations about the TME, and while older studies suggested that they may support tolerance in tumors, particularly through IL-10, more recent evidence has illuminated the heterogeneity of B cells and their potential antitumor functions. This review by Downs-Canner et al. discussed the complex range of B cell phenotypes, which may be more dependent on their environment (such as in TLSs) than on lineage-defined subsets. There is a need to better understand the roles of B cells and to identify markers for different B cell states, as B cells may contribute to antitumor immunity, responses to immunotherapy, and adverse events.
Contributed by Lauren Hitchings
ABSTRACT: The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a heterogeneous, complex organization composed of tumor, stroma, and endothelial cells that is characterized by cross talk between tumor and innate and adaptive immune cells. Over the last decade, it has become increasingly clear that the immune cells in the TME play a critical role in controlling or promoting tumor growth. The function of T lymphocytes in this process has been well characterized. On the other hand, the function of B lymphocytes is less clear, although recent data from our group and others have strongly indicated a critical role for B cells in antitumor immunity. There are, however, a multitude of populations of B cells found within the TME, ranging from naive B cells all the way to terminally differentiated plasma cells and memory B cells. Here, we characterize the role of B cells in the TME in both animal models and patients, with an emphasis on dissecting how B cell heterogeneity contributes to the immune response to cancer. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Immunology, Volume 40 is April 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/p... for revised estimates.
Author Info: (1) Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina S
Author Info: (1) Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. (2) Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; email: jonathan_serody@med.unc.edu. (3) Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; email: jonathan_serody@med.unc.edu. Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 2759, USA. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. (4) Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; email: jonathan_serody@med.unc.edu. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
