Myeloid-derived suppressor cell population (MDSC)

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a diverse population of immature myeloid lineage cells with strong immunosuppressive function, especially in pathological states such as cancer, chronic infection, and inflammation. They expand massively in the tumor microenvironment and other sites of pathology, inhibiting T cell and NK cell responses and inducing regulatory T cells via mechanisms including high arginase 1, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and secretion of cytokines such as IL-10 and TGF-β. MDSCs contribute to tumor immune escape, progression, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. Due to their central regulatory role and impact on therapy efficacy, MDSCs are considered a critical therapeutic target in cancer immunotherapy and other diseases driven by pathologic immune suppression. However, the term "myeloid-derived suppressor cell population" is not a specific molecular entity but a collective designation for various cell subtypes sharing functional immunosuppression.

Other names

Myeloid-derived suppressor cellsMDSCssuppressive myeloid cells

Targeting MDSCs may involve depletion of MDSCs, inhibition of their function via metabolic blockade (arginase, iNOS, ROS pathways), inhibition of their recruitment or differentiation, and reprogramming to non-suppressive phenotypes; frequently these mechanisms are indirect.