The DOI matches its Crossref record; 110 of the 110 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The role of cancer-associated fibroblasts, solid stress and other microenvironmental factors in tumor progression and therapy resistance
Open accessAbstract
Tumors are not merely masses of neoplastic cells but complex tissues composed of cellular and noncellular elements. This review provides recent data on the main components of a dynamic system, such as carcinoma associated fibroblasts that change the extracellular matrix (ECM) topology, induce stemness and promote metastasis-initiating cells. Altered production and characteristics of collagen, hyaluronan and other ECM proteins induce increased matrix stiffness. Stiffness along with tumor growth-induced solid stress and increased interstitial fluid pressure contribute to tumor progression and therapy resistance. Second, the role of immune cells, cytokines and chemokines is outlined. We discuss other noncellular characteristics of the tumor microenvironment such as hypoxia and extracellular pH in relation to neoangiogenesis. Overall, full understanding of the events driving the interactions between tumor cells and their environment is of crucial importance in overcoming treatment resistance and improving patient outcome.
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![Figure 1 Schematic of the biomechanical forces in the tumor microenvironment. As tumor cells proliferate they sequentially create new solid material (i.e. cells and matrix components) which generate radial and circumferential solid stresses. In the tumor center, circumferential and radial stresses are compressive while in the periphery, radial stress is compressive and circumferential stress is tensile (direction indicated with arrows). Compressive stresses in the tumor interior squeeze tumor components, including lymphatic and blood vessels (note compressed lumen of blood vessel and high density of cells and extracellular matrix in dark green). After the tumor is cut and the stresses are released, the tumor interior decompresses (note extended lumen of blood vessel, relaxed cells and extracellular matrix in light green). Reproduced and modified with permission from Prof. Rakesh K. Jain [55].](/paper-figures/1194c05f950c4cb6ad9845dd7d769c11/the-role-of-cancer-associated-fibroblasts-solid-stress-and-other-figure-1.jpg)
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“fibroblasts respond to a variety of chemotactic signals such as TGF-β, PDGF, and CXCL12, which are differentially distributed within tumors and further drive their directed migration toward tumor cores [286].”
From Modeling Tumor Microenvironment Complexity In Vitro: Spheroids as Physiologically Relevant Tumor Models and Strategies for Their Analysis (2025) · cites this paper as [286]
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Cites
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Targeting HIF-1 for cancer therapy
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“FSP1 is proangiogenic, possibly mediated either by the activation of plasminogen or through the transcriptional upregulation of MMP13 [68].”
BackgroundKalluri, R., & Zeisberg, M. (2006) · Nature Reviews Cancer · doi:10.1038/nrc1877 · Cited by 4,538
Matrix Crosslinking Forces Tumor Progression by Enhancing Integrin Signaling
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Wnt signalling in stem cells and cancer
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Mesenchymal stem cells within tumour stroma promote breast cancer metastasis
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Olive, K. P., Jacobetz, M. A., Davidson, C. J., Gopinathan, A., McIntyre, D., Honess, D., Madhu, B., Goldgraben, M. A., Caldwell, M. E., Allard, D., et al. (2009) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1171362 · Cited by 3,170
Tumor Hypoxia: Definitions and Current Clinical, Biologic, and Molecular Aspects
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“LOXL2 has been reported to be involved in invasiveness [27] and specifically expressed by fibroblasts in tumor tissue [28].”
BackgroundCancer and the chemokine network
Balkwill, F. (2004) · Nature Reviews Cancer · doi:10.1038/nrc1388 · Cited by 2,343
The microenvironment of the tumour–host interface
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Their Characteristics and Their Roles in Tumor Growth
Shiga, K., Hara, M., Nagasaki, T., Sato, T., Takahashi, H., & Takeyama, H. (2015) · Cancers · doi:10.3390/cancers7040902 · Cited by 774
A peek into cancer-associated fibroblasts: origins, functions and translational impact
LeBleu, V. S., & Kalluri, R. (2018) · Disease Models & Mechanisms · doi:10.1242/dmm.029447 · Cited by 557
Goulet, C. R., Champagne, A., Bernard, G., Vandal, D., Chabaud, S., Pouliot, F., & Bolduc, S. (2019) · BMC Cancer · doi:10.1186/s12885-019-5353-6 · Cited by 333
Stromal barriers and strategies for the delivery of nanomedicine to desmoplastic tumors
Miao, L., Lin, C. M., & Huang, L. (2015) · Journal of Controlled Release · doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2015.08.017 · Cited by 270
Defining the Role of Solid Stress and Matrix Stiffness in Cancer Cell Proliferation and Metastasis
Kalli, M., & Stylianopoulos, T. (2018) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2018.00055 · Cited by 267
Metadata
- Authors
- Kharaishvili, G., Simkova, D., Bouchalova, K., Gachechiladze, M., Narsia, N., & Bouchal, J.
- Affiliations
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine (CZ)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Bouchal, Jan
- Venue
- Cancer Cell International
- Published
- 2014-05-16
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 41-41
- ISSN
- 1475-2867 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4038849
- OpenAlex
- W2150704193
- Cited by
- 197
- References
- 110
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 2.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Cancer Cell International (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Cells and Metastasis
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › TGF-β signaling in diseases
- Keywords
- cancer-associated fibroblasts, tumor microenvironment, extracellular matrix stiffness, solid stress, interstitial fluid pressure, treatment resistance, tumor progression, metastasis-initiating cells, stemness, collagen, hyaluronic acid, tumor hypoxia, extracellular pH, neoangiogenesis, immune cells, cytokines, chemokines
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