Tumour-associated neutrophils (TANs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) span a continuous activation spectrum from anti-tumour antigen-presenting states to pro-tumour angiogenic and immunosuppressive states [Grieshaber-Bouyer et al., Nature Communications, 2021; Antuamwine et al.
Tumour-associated neutrophils (TANs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occupy a continuous activation spectrum — from anti-tumour antigen-presenting states to pro-tumour angiogenic and immunosuppressive states — rather than a binary N1/N2 classification [Grieshaber-Bouyer et al., Nature Communications, 2021; Antuamwine et al.
This paper is an updated version of the original submission with ID 2604.01553.
Tumour-associated neutrophils (TANs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are not a monolithic population. Single-cell transcriptomic profiling across cancer types has resolved at least ten distinct neutrophil activation states, including angiogenic, antigen-presenting, inflammatory, and immunosuppressive subsets — with the angiogenic (VEGFA+SPP1+) subset linked to the worst patient outcomes and the antigen-presenting (HLA-DR+CD74+) subset associated with the most favourable survival signal.