Fibroblasts and Growth Factors in Cancer
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Tumor Microenvironment".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 323
Special Issue Editors
Interests: skin cancer; epithelium; microenvironment; therapy; fibroblast; IL-6; inflammation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Harold F. Dvorak and his colleagues were the first to demonstrate that tumour cells can trigger angiogenesis via the production of paracrine factors in 1983. The subsequent body of research supports this now popular view of tumours as “wounds that do not heal” where growth factors from wound healing were implicated. Unlike regular wounds, tumours are unable to turn off the production of these bioactive factors in a timely manner. However, the link between impaired healing and cancer can be traced further back to English surgeon C. H. Hawkins, who described cases of skin cancer developing into burn scars in 1833.
The tissue microenvironment (TME) has emerged as a critical factor in malignant cell growth. TME is a multifaceted regulatory network that maintains homeostasis in organs. While the cellular and acellular TME components are critical in resisting malignant cell growth, they can be hijacked by tumour cells to regulate cancer-related signalling pathways in cancer initiation and progression.
Activated fibroblasts are a key component of the TME with diverse functions, including matrix deposition, remodelling and extensive reciprocal signalling interactions with, e.g., epithelial cells and also infiltrating immune cells. Orchestration of all these functions is critical for effective healing. In contrast, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) found in the tumour microenvironment use the same mechanisms in a deregulated manner to support tumour growth.
There has been immense progress in clinical oncology in the last decade based on principles based on targeting TME (such as antiangiogenic therapy and immunotherapy, which are now routinely used in clinics. Nevertheless, therapeutical failures due to, e.g., acquired resistance, are also frequent.
More novel therapeutic options are needed for cancer. Understanding the complex interplay between fibroblasts, growth factors, and cancer cells is critical for the development of novel therapeutic strategies that can target these key components of the tumour microenvironment. Ultimately, a better understanding of the roles of fibroblasts and growth factors in cancer may lead to the development of more effective and targeted therapies for this devastating disease.
This Special Issue aims to highlight the current state of the art in cancer fibroblast biology. We wish to provide a platform for advancing our understanding of this critical cell type within the tumour microenvironment with a focus on research that will improve our ability to develop effective therapies against cancer.
Dr. Lukas Lacina
Dr. Yi Zhen Ng
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- microenvironment
- cancer-associated fibroblast
- cancer
- paracrine
- tumour
- healing
- cytokine
- receptor
- therapy
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