The dawn of myeloid-derived suppressor cells: Identification of arginase I as the mechanism of immune suppression

Abstract

A study published in Cancer Research in 2004 by Rodriguez and colleagues identified the existence of arginase-producing myeloid cells in tumors distinct from macrophages. They demonstrated the role of arginase in negative regulation of T-cell function in vivo. This was one of the first reports implicating cells, which later were named myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), in T-cell suppression in vivo and linking this effect with arginase activity and expression. This work was important in advancing the field of MDSC research and helped to bring these cells to the forefront of cancer immunology.