Abstract: Interleukin-33 (IL-33), as interleukin-1 like cytokine, plays important roles in type Ⅱ immune responses. Recent studies suggest that IL-33 involves in tumor progression through modulating immune response, but the roles and mechanism are still controversial. These diverse results are likely due to the tissue origin, stage and microenvironment of the tumor, which implicates that IL-33 acts multiple roles in a context-dependent manner. To reveal the distinct roles of IL-33 in tumor development, further studies should be performed in more refined conditions. The profound understanding of IL-33 function in tumor progression is necessary for its application in clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Key words: IL-33, tumor, tumor type, tumor development stage, tumor microenvironment