Abstract
Tumors are surrounded by complex environmental components, including blood and lymph vessels, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, immune cells, cytokines, extracellular vesicles, and extracellular matrix. All the stromal components together with the tumor cells form the tumor microenvironment (TME). In addition, extracellular physical and chemical factors, including extracellular pH, hypoxia, elevated interstitial fluid pressure, and fibrosis, are closely associated with tumor progression, metastasis, immunosuppression, and drug resistance. Cellular and extracellular components in TME contribute to nearly all procedures of carcinogenesis. By summarizing the recent work in this field, we make a comprehensive review on the role of cellular and extracellular components in the process of carcinogenesis and their potential application in early diagnosis of cancer. We hope that a systematic review of the diverse aspects of TME will help both research scientists and clinicians in this field.
Highlights
The concept of tumor microenvironment (TME) has been proposed for more than one hundred years
TME is a web of cancer-associated fibroblasts, immune cells, extracellular matrix, and vasculature (Figure 1)
The current study identifies that the high expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-19 and MMP-20 is associated with the poor prognosis of ovarian cancer [59]
Summary
The concept of tumor microenvironment (TME) has been proposed for more than one hundred years. Diverse types of cells, including fibroblasts, endothelial cells, adipocytes, immune cells, and neuroendocrine (NE) cells, have special functions in TME [2, 3] (Figure 1). Acellular components such as the extracellular matrix (ECM), extracellular vesicles (EVs), and cytokines surrounding these cells were identified [3, 4] (Figure 1). New approaches, technologies, and remarkable insights emerged in the fields of cancer biology [9, 10] More participants and their complex interconnections in TME have been revealed. This review intends to supply some information and recent researches of the components in TME, with a particular focus on their potential application in early diagnosis
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