AUTHOR=Titmarsh Helen F. , O'Connor Richard , Dhaliwal Kevin , Akram Ahsan R. 

TITLE=The Emerging Role of the c-MET-HGF Axis in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2020.00054

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2020.00054

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>Study of the c-Met-HGF axis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has focused on the roles of c-MET signaling in neoplastic epithelial cells and the secretion of its ligand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) by tumor stromal cells. However, there is increasing evidence that some leukocyte sub-sets also express c-MET raising the possibility of an immunomodulatory role for this axis. Consequently, the role of the c-MET- HGF axis in immunoncology is an active area of ongoing research. This review summarizes current knowledge of c-MET expression in NSCLC, the prognostic significance of these findings and the mechanisms by which the c-MET-HGF axis might act in NSCLC, focusing on the emerging evidence for an immunoregulatory role.</p>