Given that these cytokines were found to be crucial for triggering the expansion (GM-CSF and IL-6) or pathologic activation (IFN-γ and IL-6) of MDSCs in studies with tumor tissue or BM stroma (24, 25), the splenic microenvironment of sanroque mice may be sufficient to serve as a niche for SDMCs. This evidence concerns the gene CSF2 and neoplasm.