Since the introduction of microscopy, pathologists have noted tumor infiltration by inflammatory cells and presumed that this represents the host's attempt to reject its tumor. Recent advances in the molecular biology of inflammation have revealed the signals involved in attracting inflammatory cells to tumors and, for the most part, these signals are mediated by chemokines and their receptors. Chemokines are low molecular weight proteins that attract and activate specific subsets of leukocytes to the exclusion of others.

This volume examines in detail the role of chronic inflammatory processes in the development of several types of cancer. Leading experts describe the latest results of molecular and cellular research on infection, cancer-related inflammation and tumorigenesis. Further, the clinical significance of these findings in preventing cancer progression and approaches to treating the diseases are discussed. Individual chapters cover cancer of the lung, colon, breast, brain, head and neck, pancreas, prostate, bladder, kidney, liver, cervix and skin as well as gastric cancer, sarcoma, lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma.

Chemokines and Cancer synthesizes a state-of-the-art understanding of the role that chemokines and their receptors play in the pathophysiology of malignancy. It examines the influence of chemokines on a broad array of malignant cells, including their effects on such intrinsic properties as growth and movement, as well as exploring their influence on the host's response to a growing tumor. The authors also demonstrate the physiological consequences of chemokine expression and suggest how chemokines can be used to regulate tumor growth in vivo, including their direct effects on tumor growth, on tumor destruction by host inflammatory cells, and on tumor angiogenesis. The only book available that relates chemokines to cancer, Chemokines and Cancer holds out the promise of novel therapeutic approaches to malignancy through the manipulation of chemokines and/or their receptors.

Chemokines are a superfamily of low molecular weight cytokines that were initially described based on their ability to induce the directed migration of leukocytes to sites of inflammation or injury. In humans, there are approximately 45 chemokines that bind to 19 G-protein-coupled receptors. In addition to mediating cellular migration, chemokines have now been shown to affect many cellular functions including survival, adhesion, invasion, proliferation, and to regulate circulating chemokine levels. Although chemokine receptors were first described on leukocytes, it is now appreciated that chemokine receptors are also expressed by many other cells including endothelial and epithelial cells. Since the first description of chemokine receptors on malignant cells in 2001, an extensive literature has developed describing the expression and function of chemokine receptors in many malignancies. These studies support the initial hypothesis that malignant cells use chemokine receptors to migrate to distant sites of ligand expression and that expression of certain receptors is associated with a poor prognosis. It has also become apparent that malignancies of different tissues may use a diverse profile of chemokine receptors and that the same receptor may mediate metastasis to different sites in tumors of different histological origins. Receptor function may also maintain survival and expansion of the primary tumor.

Cytokine and Chemokine Networks in Cancer" provides a comprehensive exploration of the roles of cytokines and chemokines in cancer biology. It offers valuable insights into their diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications, making it a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and students interested in the field of cancer immunology and therapy. This book illustrates the importance and significance of the cytokine and chemokine signaling networks in tumor development and progression. It describes the complex networks mediated by cytokine and chemokine receptors promoting tumor cell proliferation, site-directed metastasis, and activation of angiogenic switch in tumor cells. The books also shed light on the heterogeneity of cytokines and chemokine in solid malignancies and their impact on tumor progression and therapeutic outcomes. The chapters provide current information about the types of cytokine-chemokine interactions in promoting cancer stem cell-like characteristics, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and modulation of the tumor microenvironment. The significance of the complex interactions in cancer biology in the light of therapeutic resistance is also highlighted. The chapters also describe recent advancements in the therapeutic potential of targeting the pro-tumor cytokine and chemokine networks and limiting tumor cell metastasis. Finally, the book also provides a comprehensive yet representative description of a large number of challenges associated with targeting these vital chemokine-cytokine networks. Given its content, the book provides valuable information for researchers in the field of cancer biology and molecular medicine.

Revealing essential roles of the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research on the role of chemokines in the tumor microenvironment. Each chapter focuses on the chemokines patterns of expression, their regulation, and their roles in immune cell recruitment, as well as how they affect cancer immunity and tumorigenesis. Taken alongside its companion volumes, Tumor Microenvironment: The Role of Chemokines – Part A updates us on what we know about various aspects of the tumor microenvironment as well as future directions. This book is essential reading for advanced cell biology and cancer biology students as well as researchers seeking a comprehensive update on research in the tumor microenvironment.