Abstract
It is widely accepted that the development of carcinoma — the most common form of human cancer — is due to the accumulation of somatic mutations in epithelial cells. The behaviour of carcinomas is also influenced by the tumour microenvironment, which includes extracellular matrix, blood vasculature, inflammatory cells and fibroblasts. Recent studies reveal that fibroblasts have a more profound influence on the development and progression of carcinomas than was previously appreciated. These new findings have important therapeutic implications.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a DOD USAMRMC grant (N.A.B.), NIH grants (H.L.M), and a Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Support Grant. We thank J. Pietenpol and S. Hayward for critical review of the manuscript and helpful advice.
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Bhowmick, N., Neilson, E. & Moses, H. Stromal fibroblasts in cancer initiation and progression. Nature 432, 332–337 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03096
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03096
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