학술논문

A framework for advancing our understanding of cancer-associated fibroblasts
Document Type
article
Source
Nature Reviews Cancer. 20(3)
Subject
Biomedical and Clinical Sciences
Oncology and Carcinogenesis
Cancer
2.1 Biological and endogenous factors
Aetiology
Animals
Biomarkers
Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts
Cell Plasticity
Clinical Trials as Topic
Disease Susceptibility
Humans
Molecular Targeted Therapy
Neoplasms
Signal Transduction
Stromal Cells
Treatment Outcome
Tumor Microenvironment
Medical and Health Sciences
Oncology & Carcinogenesis
Biomedical and clinical sciences
Health sciences
Language
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a key component of the tumour microenvironment with diverse functions, including matrix deposition and remodelling, extensive reciprocal signalling interactions with cancer cells and crosstalk with infiltrating leukocytes. As such, they are a potential target for optimizing therapeutic strategies against cancer. However, many challenges are present in ongoing attempts to modulate CAFs for therapeutic benefit. These include limitations in our understanding of the origin of CAFs and heterogeneity in CAF function, with it being desirable to retain some antitumorigenic functions. On the basis of a meeting of experts in the field of CAF biology, we summarize in this Consensus Statement our current knowledge and present a framework for advancing our understanding of this critical cell type within the tumour microenvironment.