The Role of Neutrophilic Inflammation, Angiotropism, and Pericytic Mimicry in Melanoma Progression and Metastasis

Angiotropism in melanoma correlates with ulceration and poor prognosis. It has been shown to be a marker of pericytic mimicry, that is, the spreading of tumor cells in a pericyte location along abluminal vascular surfaces. Such extravascular tumor spread may represent another form of tumor plasticity with reversion to a neural crest cell migratory phenotype. In a murine melanoma model, it has recently been demonstrated that neutrophilic skin inflammation promotes angiotropism and metastatic spread of primary melanomas. This review discusses the role of neutrophilic inflammation in angiotropism and pericytic mimicry in melanoma progression, metastasis, tumor cell plasticity, and tumor therapeutic resistance.