Define cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment: new opportunities in cancer immunotherapy and advances in clinical trials
Abstract Despite centuries since the discovery and study of cancer, cancer is still a lethal and intractable health issue worldwide. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have gained much attention as a pivotal component of the tumor microenvironment. The versatility and sophisticated mechanisms of C...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Molecular Cancer |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-023-01860-5 |
| _version_ | 1797577639628636160 |
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| author | Hao Zhang Xinghai Yue Zhe Chen Chao Liu Wantao Wu Nan Zhang Zaoqu Liu Liping Yang Qing Jiang Quan Cheng Peng Luo Guodong Liu |
| author_facet | Hao Zhang Xinghai Yue Zhe Chen Chao Liu Wantao Wu Nan Zhang Zaoqu Liu Liping Yang Qing Jiang Quan Cheng Peng Luo Guodong Liu |
| author_sort | Hao Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Despite centuries since the discovery and study of cancer, cancer is still a lethal and intractable health issue worldwide. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have gained much attention as a pivotal component of the tumor microenvironment. The versatility and sophisticated mechanisms of CAFs in facilitating cancer progression have been elucidated extensively, including promoting cancer angiogenesis and metastasis, inducing drug resistance, reshaping the extracellular matrix, and developing an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Owing to their robust tumor-promoting function, CAFs are considered a promising target for oncotherapy. However, CAFs are a highly heterogeneous group of cells. Some subpopulations exert an inhibitory role in tumor growth, which implies that CAF-targeting approaches must be more precise and individualized. This review comprehensively summarize the origin, phenotypical, and functional heterogeneity of CAFs. More importantly, we underscore advances in strategies and clinical trials to target CAF in various cancers, and we also summarize progressions of CAF in cancer immunotherapy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:11:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0900cb5906e549e598fde1afa43cc578 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1476-4598 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:11:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecular Cancer |
| spelling | doaj.art-0900cb5906e549e598fde1afa43cc5782023-11-19T12:34:20ZengBMCMolecular Cancer1476-45982023-10-0122115010.1186/s12943-023-01860-5Define cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment: new opportunities in cancer immunotherapy and advances in clinical trialsHao Zhang0Xinghai Yue1Zhe Chen2Chao Liu3Wantao Wu4Nan Zhang5Zaoqu Liu6Liping Yang7Qing Jiang8Quan Cheng9Peng Luo10Guodong Liu11Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical UniversityDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical UniversityDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical UniversityDepartment of Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of ZhuzhouDepartment of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityCollege of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical UniversityDepartment of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical UniversityDepartment of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical UniversityDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical UniversityAbstract Despite centuries since the discovery and study of cancer, cancer is still a lethal and intractable health issue worldwide. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have gained much attention as a pivotal component of the tumor microenvironment. The versatility and sophisticated mechanisms of CAFs in facilitating cancer progression have been elucidated extensively, including promoting cancer angiogenesis and metastasis, inducing drug resistance, reshaping the extracellular matrix, and developing an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Owing to their robust tumor-promoting function, CAFs are considered a promising target for oncotherapy. However, CAFs are a highly heterogeneous group of cells. Some subpopulations exert an inhibitory role in tumor growth, which implies that CAF-targeting approaches must be more precise and individualized. This review comprehensively summarize the origin, phenotypical, and functional heterogeneity of CAFs. More importantly, we underscore advances in strategies and clinical trials to target CAF in various cancers, and we also summarize progressions of CAF in cancer immunotherapy.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-023-01860-5CAFClinical trialMicroenvironmentImmunotherapyTarget |
| spellingShingle | Hao Zhang Xinghai Yue Zhe Chen Chao Liu Wantao Wu Nan Zhang Zaoqu Liu Liping Yang Qing Jiang Quan Cheng Peng Luo Guodong Liu Define cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment: new opportunities in cancer immunotherapy and advances in clinical trials Molecular Cancer CAF Clinical trial Microenvironment Immunotherapy Target |
| title | Define cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment: new opportunities in cancer immunotherapy and advances in clinical trials |
| title_full | Define cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment: new opportunities in cancer immunotherapy and advances in clinical trials |
| title_fullStr | Define cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment: new opportunities in cancer immunotherapy and advances in clinical trials |
| title_full_unstemmed | Define cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment: new opportunities in cancer immunotherapy and advances in clinical trials |
| title_short | Define cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment: new opportunities in cancer immunotherapy and advances in clinical trials |
| title_sort | define cancer associated fibroblasts cafs in the tumor microenvironment new opportunities in cancer immunotherapy and advances in clinical trials |
| topic | CAF Clinical trial Microenvironment Immunotherapy Target |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-023-01860-5 |
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