Cancer-associated fibroblasts as abettors of tumor progression at the crossroads of EMT and therapy resistance

In the last decades, the role of the microenvironment in tumor progression and therapeutic outcome has gained increasing attention. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have emerged as key players among stromal cells, owing to their abundance in most solid tumors and their diverse tumor-restraining/promoting roles. The interplay between tumor cells and neighboring CAFs takes place by both paracrine signals (cytokines, exosomes and metabolites) or by the multifaceted functions of the surrounding extracellular matrix. Here, we dissect the most recent identified mechanisms underlying CAF-mediated control of tumor progression and therapy resistance, which include induction of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal…

• MD
  Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca
• AI
  Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro

  Awards: 16746, 5 × 1000, IG 16746
• MD
  Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale