The Bone Microenvironment: a Fertile Soil for Tumor Growth.

Abstract

Bone metastatic disease remains a significant and frequent problem for cancer patients that can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, despite decades of research, bone metastases remain incurable. Current studies have demonstrated that many properties and cell types within the bone and bone marrow microenvironment contribute to tumor-induced bone disease. Furthermore, they have pointed to the importance of understanding how tumor cells interact with their microenvironment in order to help improve both the development of new therapeutics and the prediction of response to therapy.