Neutrophils and TRAIL: insights into BCG immunotherapy for bladder cancer

Mark P. Simons1, 2, William M. Nauseef2, 3, 4, 5 and Thomas S. Griffith1, 4

(1) Department of Urology, 3204 MERF, University of Iowa, 375 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA 52242-1089, USA
(2) Inflammation Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
(3) Department of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
(4) Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
(5) VA Medical Center, Iowa City, IA, USA

Published online: 19 June 2007

Abstract Bladder cancer is a huge economic burden on the healthcare system and is responsible for approximately 5% of all cancer deaths in humans. Mycobacterium bovis BCG-based therapy is the treatment of choice for superficial bladder cancer. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) instillation in the bladder results in a massive local inflammatory response that has secondary antitumor properties. Recent studies have demonstrated that neutrophils present in the bladder after BCG instillation release large amounts of the apoptosis-inducing molecule TRAIL, as well as chemokines that recruit other immune cells, suggesting that neutrophils play a key role in the antitumor response to BCG therapy. This review discusses the impact of these findings on the understanding of the antitumor mechanisms underlying BCG-based immunotherapy for bladder cancer.
Keywords TRAIL - Neutrophil - PMN - BCG - Mycobacterium


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------