@RMedzhitov why is inflammation sometimes pro-tumor growth and sometimes anti?

@Caroline_Bartma Good question. Type and stage (initiation vs progression) of tumor likely key discriminator, with type of inflammation being secondary factor.

@RMedzhitov good thing or a bad thing?

@victornizet Looks bad to me!

@RMedzhitov Anergy versus Exhaustion - poorly defined and used improperly

@Dr_Brodeur Agree

@RMedzhitov General issue: when trying to explain immuology to math or physics people, there are way too many concepts that are ‘situation specific’. Yes, immune cell does this, but under circumstance X this can happen but under Y that happens. Fascinating and frustrating.

@FrankSc12072804 Agree completely. And it’s entirely our fault. Too much ambiguity.

@RMedzhitov I think more knowledge on the mechanisms determining the resolution of inflammation, its variations across tissues and individuals would be interesting

@RMedzhitov @daphnezohar Neuro-INFLAMMATION 😉

@RMedzhitov (1) Molecular definitions of pro-inflammatory vs anti-inflammatory myeloid cells: there are many studies in mice, and not so many in humans; some use surface markers to define cell (sub-)types, some use gene expression. When all gets mixed, it becomes confusing.

@RMedzhitov not confusing, but lack of broad discussion that especially innate cells are constantly interacting with stroma and epithelium, but should be covered now by your work anyway...

@RMedzhitov How the inflammatory site works in an ecological sense: how are decisions made, collectively, between many types of cells; and how do they change. Eg, what changes makes a site go from pro- to none-inflammatory and how is this information received in the network of cells.

@RMedzhitov Definitions of inflammation that go beyond the genetic transcription of cytokines. (Or put another way, tying together the transcription of cytokines with the cell death/tissue repair associated with inflammation).

@RMedzhitov What's the threshold (area, number of cells involved, etc) for something to be called an inflammation?

@RMedzhitov The balance of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses in cancer therapy and cancer progression. For instance, at what point is MDSC infiltration be beneficial? Before metaplasia? before dysplasia? After tumor eradication to prevent further damage?

@RMedzhitov Eosinophilic inflammation. Are eosinophils the cause, modulator or endpoint??

@RMedzhitov Note that inflammation is important for wound healing. What’s the line between clearing an infection and “cytokine storm”? Along with other topics mentioned, resolution of, cancer, atherosclerosis, innate vs adaptive triggers of

@RMedzhitov I find very confusing that inflammatory states are always circumscribed to one tissue/organ. In most textbook explanations the systemic aspect of inflammation is disregarded, as is the trafficking of immune cells from/to other organs which are "putatively" non-inflammed