Carcinoma-associated Fibroblasts: Orchestrating the Composition of Malignancy

Overview

Journal Genes Dev

Specialty Molecular Biology

Date 2016 May 7

PMID 27151975

Citations 412

Authors

Philippe Gascard

Thea D Tlsty

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The tumor stroma is no longer seen solely as physical support for mutated epithelial cells but as an important modulator and even a driver of tumorigenicity. Within the tumor stromal milieu, heterogeneous populations of fibroblast-like cells, collectively termed carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), are key players in the multicellular, stromal-dependent alterations that contribute to malignant initiation and progression. This review focuses on novel insights into the contributions of CAFs to disease progression, emergent events leading to the generation of CAFs, identification of CAF-specific biomarkers predictive of disease outcome, and recent therapeutic approaches aimed at blunting or reverting detrimental protumorigenic phenotypes associated with CAFs.

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