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92 Results Found

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
1,287 Views
15 Pages

10 December 2025

Background: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are key components of the glioblastoma (GBM) microenvironment and contribute to tumor progression, immune evasion, and therapy resistance. However, their heterogeneity and clinical impact in GBM remain...

(This article belongs to the Section Cancer Biomarkers)
  • Article
  • Open Access
9 Citations
3,969 Views
12 Pages

9 October 2024

Cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) composition within the same organ varies across different cancer subtypes. Distinct CAF subtypes exhibit unique features due to interactions with immune cells and the tumor microenvironment. However, data on CAF sub...

(This article belongs to the Section Cellular Neuroscience)
  • Review
  • Open Access
21 Citations
7,345 Views
17 Pages

21 January 2024

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains an understudied and significant global cancer killer and dismal survival rates have not changed in decades. A better understanding of the molecular basis of OSCC progression and metastasis is needed to deve...

(This article belongs to the Section Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics)
  • Review
  • Open Access
41 Citations
12,353 Views
25 Pages

A Quick Guide to CAF Subtypes in Pancreatic Cancer

  • Anna Brichkina,
  • Pierfrancesco Polo,
  • Shrey Dharamvir Sharma,
  • Nico Visestamkul and
  • Matthias Lauth

4 May 2023

Pancreatic cancer represents one of the most desmoplastic malignancies and is characterized by an extensive deposition of extracellular matrix. The latter is provided by activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are abundant cells in the...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Tumor Microenvironment in Solid Tumors: The New Frontier of Cancer Research)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,857 Views
19 Pages

The Expression and Molecular Roles of MAMDC2 in MSS Colorectal Cancer with a High Tumor Stromal Ratio

  • Yiling Liu,
  • Shengnan Qian,
  • Jia Wei,
  • Jianting He and ,
  • Minghui Li,
  • Xiaobing Gao,
  • Hong Cai,
  • Yiqing Wang,
  • Yue Han and
  • Minhui Yang
  • + 6 authors+ 1 author

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) heterogeneity is strongly influenced by molecular subtypes and tumor stroma interactions. The meprin/A5/PTPmu (MAM) domain, a conserved structural motif in transmembrane proteins, remains undercharacterized in CRC...

(This article belongs to the Section Cancer Biology and Oncology)
  • Review
  • Open Access
5 Citations
1,384 Views
12 Pages

The Significance of the Heterogeneity of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Tumor Microenvironments

  • Daiki Imanishi,
  • Hinano Nishikubo,
  • Dongheng Ma,
  • Hongdong Gao and ,
  • Tomoya Sano,
  • Canfeng Fan,
  • Takashi Sakuma,
  • Yurie Yamamoto and
  • Masakazu Yashiro
  • + 4 authors+ 0 author

9 February 2026

The tumor heterogeneity that is frequently observed in cancer tissues comprises not only cancer cells but also stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment. One of the major components of tumor stroma, i.e., cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), play...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanistic Insights into Metabolic Interactions with the Tumor Microenvironment)
  • Review
  • Open Access
31 Citations
8,580 Views
14 Pages

18 August 2022

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers, with a 5-year survival rate of 9%. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have historically been considered tumor-promoting. However, multiple studies reporting that suppression...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tumor Microenvironment and Pancreatic Cancer)
  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
3,667 Views
28 Pages

Reassessing Breast Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) Interactions with Other Stromal Components and Clinico-Pathologic Parameters by Using Immunohistochemistry and Digital Image Analysis (DIA)

  • Alina Cristina Barb,
  • Mihaela Pasca Fenesan,
  • Marilena Pirtea,
  • Mădălin-Marius Margan and ,
  • Larisa Tomescu,
  • Emil Ceban,
  • Anca Maria Cimpean and
  • Eugen Melnic
  • + 3 authors+ 0 author

27 July 2023

Background: Breast cancer (BC) stroma has CD34- and αSMA-positive cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) differently distributed. During malignant transformation, CD34-positive fibroblasts decrease while αSMA-positive CAFs increase. The prevalence of α...

  • Review
  • Open Access
404 Views
30 Pages

13 October 2026

Perineural invasion (PNI), the process of tumor cell infiltration of nerves, is a pathological feature of aggressive tumor behavior, correlating with therapeutic resistance and poor clinical outcomes. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have recentl...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Challenges and Directions—Second Edition)
  • Article
  • Open Access
11 Citations
4,847 Views
21 Pages

mRNA Subtype of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Significantly Affects Key Characteristics of Head and Neck Cancer Cells

  • Barbora Peltanová,
  • Hana Holcová Polanská,
  • Martina Raudenská,
  • Jan Balvan and ,
  • Jiří Navrátil,
  • Tomáš Vičar,
  • Jaromír Gumulec,
  • Barbora Čechová,
  • Martin Kräter and
  • Michal Masařík
  • + 10 authors+ 5 authors

3 May 2022

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) belong among severe and highly complex malignant diseases showing a high level of heterogeneity and consequently also a variance in therapeutic response, regardless of clinical stage. Our study implies t...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tumor Microenvironment of Head and Neck Cancer)
  • Review
  • Open Access
5 Citations
4,912 Views
14 Pages

Review: Challenges of In Vitro CAF Modelling in Liver Cancers

  • Alba Herrero,
  • Elisabeth Knetemann and
  • Inge Mannaerts

24 November 2021

Primary and secondary liver cancer are the third cause of death in the world, and as the incidence is increasing, liver cancer represents a global health burden. Current treatment strategies are insufficient to permanently cure patients from this dev...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Updates in Pathogenesis, Detection and Treatment)
  • Review
  • Open Access
4 Citations
4,904 Views
27 Pages

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Clinical Applications in Imaging and Therapy

  • Neda Nilforoushan,
  • Ashkan Khavaran,
  • Maierdan Palihati,
  • Yashvi Patel and ,
  • Anna O. Giarratana,
  • Jeeban Paul Das and
  • Kathleen M. Capaccione
  • + 2 authors+ 0 author

17 December 2025

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are an abundant and diverse cell population within tumor microenvironments of solid tumors. Multiple subtypes of CAFs, defined by molecular and functional markers, have been described in the literature. CAFs contr...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Tomography)
  • Review
  • Open Access
73 Citations
8,959 Views
20 Pages

The Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Ovarian Cancer

  • Mo Zhang,
  • Zhixian Chen,
  • Yan Wang,
  • Hongbo Zhao and
  • Yan Du

26 May 2022

Ovarian cancer is a lethal gynecologic tumor and is generally resistant to conventional treatments. Stable cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are important cellular components in the ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment and may provide novel resou...

  • Article
  • Open Access
10 Citations
5,896 Views
32 Pages

Single Cell Analysis of Cultivated Fibroblasts from Chronic Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer Patients

  • Yoshiaki Sunami,
  • Yijun Chen,
  • Bogusz Trojanowicz,
  • Matthias Sommerer and ,
  • Monika Hämmerle,
  • Roland Eils and
  • Jörg Kleeff
  • + 2 authors+ 0 author

19 August 2022

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a major role in the progression and drug resistance of pancreatic cancer. Recent studies suggest that CAFs exhibit functional heterogeneity and distinct transcriptomic signatures in pancreatic cancer. Pancrea...

  • Article
  • Open Access
14 Citations
4,471 Views
16 Pages

24 August 2023

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are heterogeneous constituents of the tumor microenvironment involved in the tumorigenesis, progression, and therapeutic responses of tumors. This study identified four distinct CAF subtypes of breast cancer (BRCA...

(This article belongs to the Section Molecular Informatics)
  • Review
  • Open Access
213 Citations
12,433 Views
18 Pages

The Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Cancer Invasion and Metastasis

  • Paris Jabeen Asif,
  • Ciro Longobardi,
  • Michael Hahne and
  • Jan Paul Medema

21 September 2021

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a key role in cancer progression by contributing to extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and remodeling, extensive crosstalk with cancer cells, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, metastasi...

(This article belongs to the Section Cancer Metastasis)
  • Perspective
  • Open Access
6 Citations
4,860 Views
15 Pages

5 October 2022

Pancreatic cancer is still the most intractable cancer, with a 5-year survival of around 10%. To conquer the most common type, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), we need to understand its pathobiology, especially the tumor microenvironment (TME...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tumor Microenvironment and Pancreatic Cancer)
  • Review
  • Open Access
60 Citations
7,473 Views
23 Pages

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Accomplices in the Tumor Immune Evasion

  • Marc Hilmi,
  • Rémy Nicolle,
  • Corinne Bousquet and
  • Cindy Neuzillet

14 October 2020

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are prominent cells within the tumor microenvironment, by communicating with other cells within the tumor and by secreting the extracellular matrix components. The discovery of the immunogenic role of CAFs has mad...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer-Associated Fibroblast)
  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
4,646 Views
25 Pages

Exploring the Heterogeneity of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts via Development of Patient-Derived Cell Culture of Breast Cancer

  • Anna Ilyina,
  • Anastasia Leonteva,
  • Ekaterina Berezutskaya,
  • Maria Abdurakhmanova and ,
  • Mikhail Ermakov,
  • Sergey Mishinov,
  • Elena Kuligina,
  • Sergey Vladimirov,
  • Maria Bogachek and
  • Anna Nushtaeva
  • + 6 authors+ 1 author

12 August 2025

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) constitute a heterogeneous population of cells within the tumor microenvironment and are associated with cancer development and drug resistance. The absence of a universal classification for CAFs hinders their res...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements in Cancer Biomarkers)
  • Review
  • Open Access
34 Citations
8,265 Views
20 Pages

Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Diversity Shapes Tumor Metabolism in Pancreatic Cancer

  • Raphaël Peiffer,
  • Yasmine Boumahd,
  • Charlotte Gullo,
  • Rebekah Crake and ,
  • Elisabeth Letellier,
  • Akeila Bellahcène and
  • Olivier Peulen
  • + 2 authors+ 0 author

22 December 2022

Despite extensive research, the 5-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer (PDAC) patients remains at only 9%. Patients often show poor treatment response, due partly to a highly complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF)...

(This article belongs to the Section Tumor Microenvironment)
  • Review
  • Open Access
54 Citations
8,936 Views
18 Pages

Fight the Cancer, Hit the CAF!

  • Andrea Papait,
  • Jacopo Romoli,
  • Francesca Romana Stefani,
  • Paola Chiodelli and ,
  • Maria Cristina Montresor,
  • Lorenzo Agoni,
  • Antonietta Rosa Silini and
  • Ornella Parolini
  • + 3 authors+ 0 author

22 July 2022

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is comprised of different cellular components, such as immune and stromal cells, which co-operate in unison to promote tumor progression and metastasis. In the last decade, there has been an increasing focus on one sp...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSC) in Cancer Progression and Cancer Therapy)
  • Article
  • Open Access
21 Citations
6,364 Views
16 Pages

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and partial epithelial–mesenchymal transition (p-EMT) tumor cells are closed together and contribute to the tumor progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In the present study, we deeply analyzed...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Oral Cancer—Etiopathogenesis and New Mechanisms of Oral Cancerogenesis)
  • Article
  • Open Access
16 Citations
4,870 Views
20 Pages

Modulation of Immune Infiltration of Ovarian Cancer Tumor Microenvironment by Specific Subpopulations of Fibroblasts

  • Ji Wang,
  • Frank H. C. Cheng,
  • Jessica Tedrow,
  • Wennan Chang and ,
  • Chi Zhang and
  • Anirban K. Mitra
  • + 1 author+ 0 author

29 October 2020

Tumor immune infiltration plays a key role in the progression of solid tumors, including ovarian cancer, and immunotherapies are rapidly emerging as effective treatment modalities. However, the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a predomin...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preclinical and Clinical Advances in Ovarian Cancer)
  • Article
  • Open Access
14 Citations
6,583 Views
22 Pages

CTHRC1 Induces Pancreatic Stellate Cells (PSCs) into Myofibroblast-like Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (myCAFs)

  • Min Kyung Kang,
  • Fen Jiang,
  • Ye Ji Kim,
  • Kyoungjin Ryu and ,
  • Atsushi Masamune,
  • Shin Hamada,
  • Yun-Yong Park and
  • Sang Seok Koh
  • + 3 authors+ 0 author

27 June 2023

[BACKGROUND] Collagen triple helix repeat containing-1 (CTHRC1) is a secreted protein that contributes to the progression of various cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The higher expression of CTHRC1 in tumor tissues is associated with poorer surv...

(This article belongs to the Section Clinical Research in Cancer)
  • Review
  • Open Access
25 Citations
7,945 Views
34 Pages

7 September 2025

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are crucial regulators of the tumor microenvironment (TME), promoting cancer progression, immune suppression, and therapy resistance. Single-cell transcriptomics has identified at least five distinct CAF subtypes:...

(This article belongs to the Section Cell Microenvironment)
  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
2,630 Views
25 Pages

Correlation Between Periostin Expression and Pro-Angiogenic Factors in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma

  • Adrian Wasik,
  • Marzenna Podhorska-Okolow,
  • Piotr Dziegiel,
  • Aleksandra Piotrowska and ,
  • Michal Jerzy Kulus,
  • Alicja Kmiecik and
  • Katarzyna Ratajczak-Wielgomas
  • + 2 authors+ 0 author

23 August 2024

The role of periostin (POSTN) in remodeling the microenvironment surrounding solid tumors and its effect on the tumor cells in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) have not yet been fully understood. The aim of this study was to determine the relati...

  • Review
  • Open Access
9 Citations
5,626 Views
18 Pages

CAF-Associated Genes in Breast Cancer for Novel Therapeutic Strategies

  • Kanako Naito,
  • Takafumi Sangai and
  • Keishi Yamashita

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women, and therapeutic strategies for it are based on the molecular subtypes of luminal BC, HER2 BC, and triple-negative BC (TNBC) because each subtype harbors different unique genetic aberrations. Rece...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Breast Cancer Management: From Tumorigenesis to Personalized Treatments)
  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
2,812 Views
14 Pages

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition as Critical Contributors to Renal Cell Carcinoma Progression

  • Sergii Vernygorodskyi,
  • Anton B. Tonchev,
  • Nikolai T. Evtimov and
  • Kameliya Zhechkova Bratoeva

9 December 2025

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) features a complex tumor microenvironment, where cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play key roles in tumor progression, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), immune evasion, and resistance to treatment. This art...

  • Article
  • Open Access
23 Citations
5,175 Views
17 Pages

[99mTc]Tc-iFAP/SPECT Tumor Stroma Imaging: Acquisition and Analysis of Clinical Images in Six Different Cancer Entities

  • Paola Vallejo-Armenta,
  • Guillermina Ferro-Flores,
  • Clara Santos-Cuevas,
  • Francisco Osvaldo García-Pérez and ,
  • Pamela Casanova-Triviño,
  • Bayron Sandoval-Bonilla,
  • Blanca Ocampo-García,
  • Erika Azorín-Vega and
  • Myrna Luna-Gutiérrez
  • + 4 authors+ 0 author

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is highly expressed on the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) of the tumor stroma. Recently, we reported the preclinical evaluation and clinical biokinetics of a novel 99mTc-labeled FAP inhibitor radioligand ([99m...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue In Vivo Nuclear Molecular Imaging in Drug Development and Pharmacological Research)
  • Review
  • Open Access
59 Citations
8,645 Views
17 Pages

9 March 2021

In the past few decades, the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in resistance to therapies for gastrointestinal (GI) cancers has emerged. Clinical studies focusing on GI cancers have revealed that the high expression of CAF-related molecule...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer-Associated Fibroblast)
  • Article
  • Open Access
9 Citations
4,338 Views
17 Pages

A Novel Molecular Signature of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Predicts Prognosis and Immunotherapy Response in Pancreatic Cancer

  • Weiyu Ge,
  • Ming Yue,
  • Yanling Wang,
  • Yongchao Wang and ,
  • Shengbai Xue,
  • Daiyuan Shentu,
  • Tiebo Mao,
  • Xiaofei Zhang,
  • Haiyan Xu and
  • Jiujie Cui
  • + 8 authors+ 3 authors

21 December 2022

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a prominent population of stromal cells, play a crucial role in tumor progression, prognosis, and treatment response. However, the relationship among CAF-based molecular signatures, clinical outcomes, and tumor m...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Immunotherapy: Tumor Microenvironment, Biomarker Discovery and Immune Resistance)
  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
2,530 Views
19 Pages

Identification of GREM-1 and GAS6 as Specific Biomarkers for Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Derived from Patients with Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

  • Bo-Guen Kim,
  • Kyunghee Park,
  • Mina Hwang,
  • Hyewon Lee and ,
  • Kyung-Mi Park,
  • Junsu Choe,
  • Sun Hye Shin,
  • Byeong-Ho Jeong,
  • Kyungjong Lee and
  • Sang-Won Um
  • + 10 authors+ 5 authors

30 August 2025

Background/Objectives: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a pivotal role in the tumor microenvironment. We conducted an analysis using RNA sequencing to identify specific markers for CAFs compared to normal fibroblasts (NFs) in non-small-cell...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Predictive Biomarkers for Lung Cancer)
  • Article
  • Open Access
10 Citations
3,909 Views
17 Pages

ERα36-High Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts as an Unfavorable Factor in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

  • Anna Nagel,
  • Marta Popeda,
  • Anna Muchlinska,
  • Rafal Sadej and ,
  • Jolanta Szade,
  • Jacek Zielinski,
  • Jaroslaw Skokowski,
  • Magdalena Niemira,
  • Adam Kretowski and
  • Anna J. Zaczek
  • + 6 authors+ 1 author

15 April 2022

Background: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the most abundant cell type in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Estrogen receptor alpha 36 (ERα36), the alternatively spliced variant of ERα, is described as an unfavorable factor when...

(This article belongs to the Section Cancer Pathophysiology)
  • Review
  • Open Access
178 Citations
9,539 Views
14 Pages

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Master Tumor Microenvironment Modifiers

  • Kellen Wright,
  • Thuc Ly,
  • Matthew Kriet,
  • Andras Czirok and
  • Sufi Mary Thomas

22 March 2023

Cancer cells rely on the tumor microenvironment (TME), a composite of non-malignant cells, and extracellular matrix (ECM), for survival, growth, and metastasis. The ECM contributes to the biomechanical properties of the surrounding tissue, in additio...

(This article belongs to the Section Tumor Microenvironment)
  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,127 Views
18 Pages

CAFs and Endocrine Therapy Resistance in Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

  • Amalia A. Sofianidi,
  • Vaia K. Stafyla and
  • Flora Zagouri

The development of endocrine resistance represents a major obstacle when treating hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. The tumor microenvironment (TME), represented by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in this context, has recently been propos...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breast Cancer and Hormone Receptors: Molecular Insights)
  • Case Report
  • Open Access
6 Citations
3,605 Views
10 Pages

A Case Report on Longitudinal Collection of Tumour Biopsies for Gene Expression-Based Tumour Microenvironment Analysis from Pancreatic Cancer Patients Treated with Endoscopic Ultrasound Guided Radiofrequency Ablation

  • Patrick V. Lawrence,
  • Krisha Desai,
  • Christopher Wadsworth,
  • Nagina Mangal and ,
  • Hemant M. Kocher,
  • Nagy Habib,
  • Anguraj Sadanandam and
  • Mikael H. Sodergren
  • + 3 authors+ 0 author

21 September 2022

Background: Most patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are metastatic at presentation with dismal prognosis warranting improved systemic therapy options. Longitudinal sampling for the assessment of treatment response poses a challenge...

(This article belongs to the Section Surgical Oncology)
  • Article
  • Open Access
10 Citations
3,291 Views
16 Pages

Analysis of the Gene Expression Profile of Stromal Pro-Tumor Factors in Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts from Luminal Breast Carcinomas

  • Noemi Eiro,
  • Sandra Cid,
  • María Fraile,
  • Jorge Ruben Cabrera and ,
  • Luis O. Gonzalez and
  • Francisco J. Vizoso
  • + 1 author+ 0 author

23 October 2020

Luminal tumors are the most frequent type of breast carcinomas showing less tumor aggressiveness, although heterogeneity exists in their clinical outcomes. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a key component of the tumor stroma which contribute...

(This article belongs to the Section Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics)
  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
2,423 Views
21 Pages

Using Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts as a Shear-Wave Elastography Imaging Biomarker to Predict Anti-PD-1 Efficacy of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

  • Zhiming Zhang,
  • Shuyu Liang,
  • Dongdong Zheng,
  • Shiyu Wang and ,
  • Jin Zhou,
  • Ziqi Wang,
  • Yunxia Huang,
  • Cai Chang,
  • Yuanyuan Wang and
  • Shichong Zhou
  • + 6 authors+ 1 author

In the clinical setting, the efficacy of single-agent immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains suboptimal. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop predictive biomarkers to identify non-responders. Con...

(This article belongs to the Section Molecular Oncology)
  • Review
  • Open Access
48 Citations
10,214 Views
23 Pages

13 October 2020

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women worldwide. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a heterogeneous population of cells in the solid tumour microenvironment. These cells are positively linked to breast cancer p...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Mechanisms of Tumor Progression and Novel Therapeutic Targets)
  • Article
  • Open Access
24 Citations
7,827 Views
17 Pages

Index of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Is Superior to the Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition Score in Prognosis Prediction

  • Ying-Chieh Ko,
  • Ting-Yu Lai,
  • Shu-Ching Hsu,
  • Fu-Hui Wang and ,
  • Sheng-Yao Su,
  • Yu-Lian Chen,
  • Min-Lung Tsai,
  • Chung-Chun Wu,
  • Jenn-Ren Hsiao and
  • Su-Fang Lin
  • + 9 authors+ 4 authors

28 June 2020

In many solid tumors, tissue of the mesenchymal subtype is frequently associated with epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), strong stromal infiltration, and poor prognosis. Emerging evidence from tumor ecosystem studies has revealed that the...

(This article belongs to the Section Tumor Microenvironment)
  • Article
  • Open Access
668 Views
21 Pages

CAF-Driven EMT and ECM Remodeling Programs Promote Mesothelioma Progression

  • Licun Wu,
  • Hana Yun,
  • Hamed Yasavoli Sharahi,
  • Fatemeh Zaeimi and
  • Marc de Perrot

28 July 2026

Background: The aggressive progression of mesothelioma is driven not only by intrinsic tumor cell plasticity but also by dynamic interactions between tumor cells and the surrounding stromal microenvironment; however, the mechanisms by which stromal p...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cytoskeleton in Tumor Growth and Progression)
  • Review
  • Open Access
52 Citations
9,614 Views
19 Pages

Therapeutic Targeting of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in the Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Tumor Microenvironment

  • Yasushi Shintani,
  • Toru Kimura,
  • Soichiro Funaki,
  • Naoko Ose and ,
  • Takashi Kanou and
  • Eriko Fukui
  • + 1 author+ 0 author

4 January 2023

Lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The most common lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with an overall 5-year survival rate of around 20% because NSCLC is a metastatic d...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Cancer)
  • Review
  • Open Access
38 Citations
9,847 Views
35 Pages

Dual Role of Fibroblasts Educated by Tumour in Cancer Behavior and Therapeutic Perspectives

  • Belén Toledo,
  • Manuel Picon-Ruiz,
  • Juan Antonio Marchal and
  • Macarena Perán

8 December 2022

Tumours are complex systems with dynamic interactions between tumour cells, non-tumour cells, and extracellular components that comprise the tumour microenvironment (TME). The majority of TME’s cells are cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), wh...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Cancer Cell Invasion and Metastases)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,210 Views
28 Pages

Myofibroblastic CAF and Malignant Ductal Cell Crosstalk Drives Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition and Progression in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma via THBS2-SDC/Integrin Axes

  • Zhonglu Ren,
  • Zhuangchang Li,
  • Jie Wang,
  • Yuchen Liu and ,
  • Lidan Chen,
  • Yuxin Su,
  • Limin Zhao and
  • Xi Liu
  • + 3 authors+ 0 author

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal malignancy with a five-year survival rate below 10%. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) promote epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis, yet the specific CAF subtypes a...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deciphering Molecular Complexity of Pancreatic Cancer)
  • Review
  • Open Access
2 Citations
1,635 Views
32 Pages

Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Heterogeneity and Extracellular Matrix Remodeling as Orchestrators of Drug Resistance in Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers: Insights from Spatial Multi-Omics and Therapeutic Implications

  • Yasamin Mirzabeigi,
  • Joe Youssef,
  • Jeffrey Gonzalez,
  • Thais Martinez and ,
  • Rima Avellan,
  • Andres Wong,
  • Miguel Perez,
  • Luis Lorenzo Carvajal,
  • Wassim Abou-Kheir and
  • Hisham F. Bahmad
  • + 5 authors+ 0 author

22 July 2026

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including esophageal, gastric, and pancreatic cancers, remain among the most lethal malignancies worldwide, mainly because they resist nearly every therapeutic modality, from platinum-based chemotherapy, and anti-...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Resistance Mechanisms and Tumor Microenvironment in Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers)
  • Article
  • Open Access
13 Citations
6,157 Views
16 Pages

Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Cellular Heterogeneity and Drivers in Serrated Pathway-Driven Colorectal Cancer Progression

  • Jiahui Wang,
  • Yu Zhang,
  • Xinyi Chen,
  • Qi Sheng and ,
  • Junluo Yang,
  • Yuyao Zhu,
  • Yuhang Wang,
  • Fangrong Yan and
  • Jingya Fang
  • + 4 authors+ 0 author

11 October 2024

Serrated lesions are common precancerous pathways in colorectal cancer (CRC), but the process by which they progress to malignancy remains unclear. We aimed to elucidate this progression through a single-cell RNA landscape. We conducted single-cell R...

(This article belongs to the Section Molecular Oncology)
  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
736 Views
18 Pages

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) develops through a stepwise pathological status from atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) to invasive adenocarcinoma (IA). Although ma...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thoracic Malignancies: From Pathophysiology to Novel Therapeutic Approaches: 2nd Edition)
  • Article
  • Open Access
35 Citations
4,429 Views
18 Pages

Prognostic Significance of Stromal Periostin Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

  • Katarzyna Ratajczak-Wielgomas,
  • Alicja Kmiecik,
  • Jedrzej Grzegrzołka,
  • Aleksandra Piotrowska and ,
  • Agnieszka Gomulkiewicz,
  • Aleksandra Partynska,
  • Konrad Pawelczyk,
  • Katarzyna Nowinska,
  • Marzenna Podhorska-Okolow and
  • Piotr Dziegiel
  • + 5 authors+ 0 author

24 September 2020

Background: The microenvironment of solid tumours is significant in cancer development and progression. The aim of this study was to determine periostin (POSTN) expression by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC),...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Therapeutic Molecular Targets in Tumor Microenvironment)
  • Review
  • Open Access
7 Citations
3,617 Views
21 Pages

The Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Tumor-Associated Macrophages in the Tumor Microenvironment and Their Impact on Ovarian Cancer Survival and Therapy

  • Alena A. McQuarter,
  • Joseph Cruz,
  • Celina R. Yamauchi,
  • Mariem Chouchen and ,
  • Cody S. Carter,
  • Tonya J. Webb and
  • Salma Khan
  • + 2 authors+ 0 author

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer, mainly because it is often diagnosed late and resists standard treatments. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a major role in disease progression and therapy failure. Two key components of the T...

(This article belongs to the Topic Antibody-Mediated Therapy and Other Emerging Therapies in Cancer Treatment)
  • Review
  • Open Access
241 Views
16 Pages

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Prostaglandin E2 Signaling in Gastric Cancer: Immunometabolic Mechanisms and Implications for Immunotherapy Resistance

  • Chongxuan Xu,
  • Yihan Wang,
  • Qiaoqiao Zhang,
  • Yihe Dong and ,
  • Mengjing Yuan,
  • Dongxuan Li,
  • Shiyang Deng and
  • Jiang Du
  • + 3 authors+ 0 author

25 October 2026

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) signaling have each been implicated in resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in gastric cancer. CAFs are associated with immune exclusion, whereas PGE2 can suppress CD8+ T-c...

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 25th Anniversary of IJMS: Advances in Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism)

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