Review
. 2025 Sep 12:16:1666261.
two: 10.3389/Fimmu.2025.1666261.
eCollection 2025.
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Review
Front Immunol.
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Abstract
NETs are network-like structures consisting mainly of DNA and various proteins released by neutrophils physiologically in response to pathogens. Moreover, according to recent reports, NETs also play an important role in carcinogenesis. They are involved in all stages of carcinogenesis, assist in the process of metastasis, and their presence has been linked to higher mortality and poorer prognosis in numerous cancer types. This review focuses on anti-cancer treatments related to disintegration of existing NETs, inhibition of their formation and regulation of their formation. Cases in which the presence of NETs was associated with anti-cancer activity and the association of NETs with complications co-occurring with cancer or related to cancer treatment was presented. This paper also presents mechanisms of NETs inhibition, predicting the efficacy or resistance of anti-cancer therapy associated with NETs.
Keywords:
DNase 1; NETs; cancer; chemoresistance; therapy.
Copyright © 2025 Morawiec, Kubina, Jabłońska, Ratajczak-Wrona, Stępień, Gołębski and Mielczarek-Placz.
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Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be constructed as a potential conflict of interest.
Figures
Figure 1
NETs’ dual roles in pro/anti-tumor effects (, –9). All the figures presented in the paper were created in
Figure 2
Cancer types in which predominant direction of evidence suggests that NETs degradation is beneficial and those in which evidence suggests NETs have anti-cancer effects.
Figure 3
NETs degradation methods.
Figure 4
Complications of cancer and its treatment associated with NETs.
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