Actin cytoskeleton remodeling facilitates and fine-tunes diverse cellular processes. Cells have evolved to use the same building blocks of actin monomers to form filaments through the sequential and synchronous use of actin filament regulators. This is best illustrated in immune cells which rely on a highly dynamic cytoskeleton to patrol the body and recognize and respond to cancer cells. Here, we highlight key actin regulators that are differentially expressed in immune cells and the immune cell biology learned from disease-causing mutations in these actin regulators. Moreover, we discuss two important aspects of the actin cytoskeleton in controlling cancer: the engagement in multiple phases of immune cell activation and effector function as well as the role in cellular transformation. We conclude by reflecting on how these two aspects can be balanced in developing novel chemotherapies.

肌动蛋白细胞骨架重塑促进和微调不同的细胞过程。细胞已经进化为使用相同的肌动蛋白单体构建块，通过肌动蛋白丝调节剂的顺序和同步使用来形成细丝。这在免疫细胞中得到了最好的说明，这些细胞依赖于高度动态的细胞骨架来巡逻身体并识别和响应癌细胞。在这里，我们重点介绍了在免疫细胞中差异表达的关键肌动蛋白调节因子，以及从这些肌动蛋白调节因子的致病突变中学到的免疫细胞生物学。此外，我们讨论了肌动蛋白细胞骨架在控制癌症中的两个重要方面：参与免疫细胞激活和效应子功能的多个阶段以及在细胞转化中的作用。