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World J Gastrointest Oncol. Jul 15, 2025; 17(7): 107589
Published online Jul 15, 2025. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i7.107589
Exploring the role of neutrophil extracellular traps in colorectal cancer: Insights from single-cell sequencing
Zhen-Xi Xu, Fan-Yong Qu, Zheng Zhang, Wen-Yu Luan, Si-Xiang Lin, Yan-Dong Miao
Zhen-Xi Xu, Fan-Yong Qu, Zheng Zhang, Wen-Yu Luan, Si-Xiang Lin, Yan-Dong Miao, Cancer Center, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, The Second Medical College of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264100, Shandong Province, China
Si-Xiang Lin, Yan-Dong Miao, Research and Translational Center for Immunological Disorders, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264100, Shandong Province, China
Yan-Dong Miao, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Biomechanics, National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510000, Guangdong Province, China
Yan-Dong Miao, Department of Oncology, Xinhui District People’s Hospital, Jiangmen 529100, Guangdong Province, China
Co-first authors: Zhen-Xi Xu and Fan-Yong Qu.
Co-corresponding authors: Si-Xiang Lin and Yan-Dong Miao.
Author contributions: Xu ZX and Qu FY performed the literature retrieval and wrote the manuscript; Xu ZX and Qu FY contributed equally to this work; Zhang Z performed the data analysis; Luan WY performed the images drawing; Lin SX and Miao YD were designated as co-corresponding authors; Lin SX was responsible for the evolution of overarching research goals and aims, specifically critical review, management and coordination responsibility for the research activity planning and execution, acquisition of the financial support for the project leading to this publication, while Miao YD was responsible for review and editing the draft, oversight, and leadership responsibility for the research activity planning and execution, including mentorship external to the core team; All authors approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the Shandong Province Medical and Health Science and Technology Development Plan Project, No. 202203030713; Yantai Science and Technology Program, No. 2024YD005, No. 2024YD007 and No. 2024YD010; and Science and Technology Program of Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, No. YTFY2022KYQD06.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yan-Dong Miao, MD, Doctor, Cancer Center, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, The Second Medical College of Binzhou Medical University, No. 717 Jinbu Street, Muping District, Yantai 264100, Shandong Province, China. miaoyd_22@bzmc.edu.cn
Received: March 27, 2025
Revised: April 12, 2025
Accepted: May 27, 2025
Published online: July 15, 2025
Processing time: 110 Days and 5.5 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a critical role in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC), impacting tumor metastasis, immune evasion, and angiogenesis. Recent advancements in single-cell sequencing (SCS) have provided deeper insights into the mechanisms behind NET formation and their interactions within the tumor microenvironment. SCS has revealed that NETs not only facilitate CRC cell invasion and metastasis but also promote an immunosuppressive environment by inhibiting T cell activity. This makes NETs a promising therapeutic target for CRC, potentially enhancing early diagnosis, treatment efficacy, and patient prognosis by targeting key regulatory pathways of NET formation.