The thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an IL-7-like cytokine originally cloned from a murine thymic stromal cell line, and subsequently a human homolog was identified using database search methods. Human TSLP is mostly expressed in epithelial cells, among which are keratinocytes as well as stromal cells such as fibroblasts and immune cells. Human TSLP was first described to activate myeloid dendritic cells, which prime naïve T helper cells to produce high concentrations of Th2 cytokines, thus representing a key cytokine in triggering dendritic cells-mediated allergic Th2 inflammation. TSLP and/or its receptor has been shown to be expressed in several tumor types, where TSLP expression is associated with functional activities that can be associated or not with the induction of a Th2-prone tumor microenvironment, i.e., Th2-dependent and Th2-independent mechanisms. These mechanisms involve tissue- and immune cell target-dependent tumor-promoting or tumor-suppressive functions in different or even the same tumor type. Here we report and discuss the Th2-dependent and Th2-independent roles of TSLP in cancer and possible therapeutic targeting.

胸腺基质淋巴细胞生成素（TSLP）是最初从鼠类胸腺基质细胞系克隆的IL-7样细胞因子，随后使用数据库搜索方法鉴定了人类同源物。人TSLP主要在上皮细胞中表达，其中有角质形成细胞以及基质细胞如成纤维细胞和免疫细胞。首次描述了人类TSLP激活髓样树突状细胞，该树突状初生T辅助细胞产生高浓度的Th2细胞因子，因此代表触发树突状细胞介导的过敏性Th2炎症的关键细胞因子。已显示TSLP和/或其受体在几种肿瘤类型中表达，其中TSLP表达与功能活性相关，该功能活性可与诱导Th2多发性肿瘤微环境相关，也可以不相关。Th2依赖和Th2独立的机制。这些机制涉及不同或什至相同肿瘤类型的组织和免疫细胞靶标依赖性肿瘤促进或肿瘤抑制功能。在这里，我们报告并讨论TSLP在癌症中的Th2依赖性和Th2依赖性作用以及可能的治疗靶点。