Research Advances of IL-8 and Its Receptors in Tumor Progression and Treatment

Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a member of the CXC chemokine family, is an important mediator of immune responses in the innate immune system. Recent studies have confirmed that IL-8 is significantly elevated in a variety of tumor tissues, including breast, nasopharyngeal, colorectal and gastric tumors, and also in the serum of patients suffering from these cancers. The level of IL-8 is correlated to the TNM staging and prognosis of cancer patients. Researches have shown that IL-8 is an indispensable inflammatory and immunosuppressive factor in the tumor microenvironment, capable of promoting tumor progression, angiogenesis and the recruitment of immune suppressor cells, as well as suppressing immune responses against tumor growth. It is also closely related to the drug resistance of tumors. This article provides a review on the application of targeted therapies related to IL-8 and the progress in combining these therapies with other anti-tumor treatments.