TY  - EJOU
AU  - Tanzadehpanah, Hamid 
AU  - Esfandiari, Amir Hossein 
AU  - Kakhki, Seyed Sajjad Alavi 
AU  - Mahmoudian, Reihaneh Alsadat 
AU  - Sardou, Hossein Shahdadi 
AU  - Mobarezi, Zahra 
AU  - Yang, Piao 
AU  - Meshkat, Zahra 
AU  - Vojdani, Arastoo 
AU  - Forouzanfar, Fatemeh 
AU  - Mokhtari, Khatere 
AU  - Manoochehri, Hamed 
AU  - Afkhami, Hamed 
AU  - Shahreza, Mahdieh Ameri 
AU  - Al-Musawi, Sharafaldin 
AU  - Sheykhhasan, Mohsen 
AU  - Mahaki, Hanie 

TI  - Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) in Cancer Immunology: Friend or Foe?
T2  - Oncology Research

PY  - 
VL  - 
IS  - 
SN  - 1555-3906

AB  - Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a multifunctional cytokine with dual roles in tumor immunology, promoting both antitumor immunity and, in certain contexts, tumor progression. GM-CSF is vital for the differentiation, activation, and survival of dendritic cells, macrophages, and granulocytes—key players in initiating and sustaining immune responses against tumors. It enhances antigen presentation, stimulates T-cell activation, and serves as an adjuvant in cancer vaccines to strengthen antitumor immunity. However, the effects of GM-CSF within the tumor microenvironment (TME) are complex and context dependent. It can facilitate tumor growth by recruiting immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), polarizing tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) toward a protumor phenotype, and promoting angiogenesis and metastasis. This review examines the paradoxical roles of GM-CSF in tumor immunology, its mechanisms of action, and its impact on immune cell populations and tumor progression. The aim of this study is to elucidate the dual roles of GM-CSF in tumor immunology, exploring its mechanisms of action, its impact on immune cell populations and tumor progression, and its therapeutic potential in cancer immunotherapy, including its application in combination therapies and vaccines, as well as the challenges associated with its protumor effects. Understanding the balance between the beneficial and detrimental effects of GM-CSF is essential for optimizing its clinical use and improving patient outcomes.
KW  - Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor; tumor immunology; myeloid-derived suppressor cells; tumor-associated macrophages; cancer immunotherapy

DO  - 10.32604/or.2026.075665