Exploring the Role of Tumor-Associated Neutrophils in Gastric Cancer Using a Zebrafish Xenograft Model

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-829-5_32How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Gastric Cancer; Tumor-Associated Neutrophils; Zebrafish Xenograft Model; Tumor Microenvironment

Abstract

Gastric cancer remains a significant global health burden due to its high mortality and therapeutic challenges, including marked tumor heterogeneity and a complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Within the TME, tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) are highly plastic, exhibiting either pro- or anti-tumor activities depending on microenvironmental cues. Understanding this plasticity is crucial for developing effective cancer therapies. This study explores the regulatory role of TANs in gastric cancer using a refined zebrafish xenograft model. We optimized model parameters (time for observation, cell numbers for injection, reagent for cell suspension) to ensure stability and reproducibility. The research revealed significant heterogeneity among gastric cancer cell lines in their in vivo proliferation and capacity to recruit host neutrophils, functionally manifesting tumor diversity. Pharmacological intervention showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment shifted tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) towards a pro-inflammatory, anti-tumor phenotype, significantly reducing tumor proliferation. Conversely, treatment with the C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) antagonist SB225002 blocked neutrophil chemotaxis and cytotoxic activation by inhibiting CXCR2-mediated signaling, thereby abrogating TAN-dependent tumor suppression and leading to accelerated tumor growth. These findings provide essential experimental evidence for developing novel immunomodulatory therapies targeting CXCR2 or IL-10 signaling.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Jing Cai
AU  - Ming-Fang He
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/08/28
TI  - Exploring the Role of Tumor-Associated Neutrophils in Gastric Cancer Using a Zebrafish Xenograft Model
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 International Conference on Chemical Engineering and Biological Science (CEBS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 319
EP  - 335
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-829-5_32
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-829-5_32
ID  - Cai2025
ER  -