Rethinking the Roles of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic CancerSummary
Bearing a dismal 5-year survival rate, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a challenging disease that features a unique fibroinflammatory tumor microenvironment. As major components of the PDAC tumor microenvironment, cancer-associated fibroblasts are still poorly understood and their contrib...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352345X24000250 |
| _version_ | 1797253926778568704 |
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| author | Ralph Francescone Howard C. Crawford Debora Barbosa Vendramini-Costa |
| author_facet | Ralph Francescone Howard C. Crawford Debora Barbosa Vendramini-Costa |
| author_sort | Ralph Francescone |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bearing a dismal 5-year survival rate, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a challenging disease that features a unique fibroinflammatory tumor microenvironment. As major components of the PDAC tumor microenvironment, cancer-associated fibroblasts are still poorly understood and their contribution to the several hallmarks of PDAC, such as resistance to therapies, immunosuppression, and high incidence of metastasis, is likely underestimated. There have been encouraging advances in the understanding of these fascinating cells, but many controversies remain, leaving the field still actively exploring the full scope of their contributions in PDAC progression. Here we pose several important considerations regarding PDAC cancer-associated fibroblast functions. We posit that transcriptomic analyses be interpreted with caution, when aiming to uncover the functional contributions of these cells. Moreover, we propose that normalizing these functions, rather than eliminating them, will provide the opportunity to enhance therapeutic response. Finally, we propose that cancer-associated fibroblasts should not be studied in isolation, but in conjunction with its extracellular matrix, because their respective functions are coordinated and concordant. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T21:41:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-af393567b87547249ec54fc633c1f93b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-345X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T21:41:50Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-af393567b87547249ec54fc633c1f93b2024-03-21T05:36:53ZengElsevierCellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology2352-345X2024-01-01175737743Rethinking the Roles of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic CancerSummaryRalph Francescone0Howard C. Crawford1Debora Barbosa Vendramini-Costa2Department of Surgery, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan; Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MichiganDepartment of Surgery, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan; Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MichiganDepartment of Surgery, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan; Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan; Correspondence Address correspondence to: Debora Barbosa Vendramini-Costa, PhD, Department of Surgery, Henry Ford Health, E&R Building, 2799 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, Michigan 48202.Bearing a dismal 5-year survival rate, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a challenging disease that features a unique fibroinflammatory tumor microenvironment. As major components of the PDAC tumor microenvironment, cancer-associated fibroblasts are still poorly understood and their contribution to the several hallmarks of PDAC, such as resistance to therapies, immunosuppression, and high incidence of metastasis, is likely underestimated. There have been encouraging advances in the understanding of these fascinating cells, but many controversies remain, leaving the field still actively exploring the full scope of their contributions in PDAC progression. Here we pose several important considerations regarding PDAC cancer-associated fibroblast functions. We posit that transcriptomic analyses be interpreted with caution, when aiming to uncover the functional contributions of these cells. Moreover, we propose that normalizing these functions, rather than eliminating them, will provide the opportunity to enhance therapeutic response. Finally, we propose that cancer-associated fibroblasts should not be studied in isolation, but in conjunction with its extracellular matrix, because their respective functions are coordinated and concordant.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352345X24000250Cancer-associated fibroblastspancreatic cancertumor microenvironmentstroma |
| spellingShingle | Ralph Francescone Howard C. Crawford Debora Barbosa Vendramini-Costa Rethinking the Roles of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic CancerSummary Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology Cancer-associated fibroblasts pancreatic cancer tumor microenvironment stroma |
| title | Rethinking the Roles of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic CancerSummary |
| title_full | Rethinking the Roles of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic CancerSummary |
| title_fullStr | Rethinking the Roles of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic CancerSummary |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rethinking the Roles of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic CancerSummary |
| title_short | Rethinking the Roles of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic CancerSummary |
| title_sort | rethinking the roles of cancer associated fibroblasts in pancreatic cancersummary |
| topic | Cancer-associated fibroblasts pancreatic cancer tumor microenvironment stroma |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352345X24000250 |
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