How the Body’s Natural ‘Inflammation Resolvers’ Interact With Cancer Biology

This review article looks at a family of molecules called specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), which are made by the body from fatty acids (including omega-3s) to actively wind down inflammation once it has done its job. Rather than simply blocking inflammation, SPMs help clear cellular debris, guide immune cells like macrophages to clean up damaged tissue, and support tissue repair.

The authors summarize recent research connecting these resolution processes to cancer biology. They describe how the debris-clearing process (efferocytosis) can be a double-edged sword — helping quiet damaging inflammation but potentially also helping tumor cells evade immune detection. Other work reviewed suggests certain macrophage-derived mediators may interact with dormant, disseminated tumor cells and the surrounding tissue niche, and that neutrophil ‘traps’ (NETs) are increasingly studied as a link between inflammation, cancer treatment stress, and later spread.

Notably, the review discusses how reduced activity of an enzyme called ALOX15, which is needed to produce some SPMs, may help explain why past omega-3 fatty acid trials aimed at cancer prevention have produced mixed results — suggesting that the body’s ability to convert omega-3s into these resolving molecules may matter as much as omega-3 intake itself.