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Table 1 Role and markers of the immune cells of the TME

From: Insights into the tumor microenvironment of B cell lymphoma

Immune cells

Role

Markers

Tfh cells

- formation and maintenance of GCs

- promote clonal selection and affinity maturation of GC B cells

CD4+, CXCR5+, PD1+, ICOS+

Treg cells

- prevent autoimmunity by suppressing immune response activation and promoting tolerance towards self-antigens

- suppress tumor immunity leading to immune escape

CD4+, CD25+, FoxP3+, CD127-

Effector CD8+ T cells

Highly cytotoxic against transformed and virus-infected cells

CD8+, CD45RA+, CD45RO-, CCR7+, CD28+, IFN- γ+, IL-2+

TAMs

M1 – anti-tumorigenic

M2 – pro-tumorigenic: i) suppress antitumor immunity by inhibiting the recruitment and activation of T cells; ii) serve as metastasis promoters

M1: CD80+, CD86+, CD64+, CD16+, CD32+

M2: CD163+, CD206+, CD204+

MDSCs

- enhance tumorigenesis by enhancing migratory capacity, autocrine growth factor-induced signaling and increasing levels of secretory molecules

HLA-DR-, CD14+, CD11b+, CD33+, S100A9+,

CAFs

- enhance stiffening of ECM, angiogenesis, and cancer cell invasion

- promote an immune suppressive TME

PDGFRA+, PDGFRB+, FSP-1/S100A4+ and FAP+

NK cells

- prevention of infection and tumor growth

CD56dim CD16bright (90%) CD56bright CD16dim (10%)

ILCs

- regulate tissue homeostasis, inflammation, tumor surveillance and tumorigenesis

CD45+, CD127+, CD161+/-, HLA-DR+, CD56+/-, CD11b-, CD11c+/-, CD19-

  1. Abbreviations: Tfh T follicular helper, Treg T regulatory, TAMs Tumor-associated macrophages, MDSCs Myeloid-derived suppressor cells, CAFs cancer-associated fibroblasts, ECM extracellular matrix, TME tumor microenvironment, PDGFRA platelet derived growth factor receptor α, PDGFRB platelet derived growth factor receptor β, FSP fibroblast specific protein 1, FAP fibroblast activation protein, NK Natural Killer, ILCs Innate lymphoid cells