Cancer associated fibroblasts: the architects of stroma remodelling

Santi, A., Kugeratski, F. G. and Zanivan, S. (2018) Cancer associated fibroblasts: the architects of stroma remodelling. Proteomics, 18(5-6), 1700167. (doi: 10.1002/pmic.201700167) (PMID:29280568) (PMCID:PMC5900985)

Abstract

Fibroblasts have exceptional phenotypic plasticity and capability to secrete vast amount of soluble factors, ECM components and extracellular vesicles. While in physiological conditions this makes fibroblasts master regulators of tissue homeostasis and healing of injured tissues, in solid tumours cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) co-evolve with the disease, and alter the biochemical and physical structure of the tumour microenvironment, as well as the behaviour of the surrounding stromal and cancer cells. Thus CAFs are fundamental regulators of tumour progression and influence response to therapeutic treatments. Increasing efforts are devoted to better understand the biology of CAFs to bring insights to develop complementary strategies to target this cell type in cancer. Here we highlight components of the tumour microenvironment that play key roles in cancer progression and invasion, and provide an extensive overview of past and emerging understanding of CAF biology as well as the contribution that mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics has made to this field.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Kugeratski, Fernanda Grande and Zanivan, Professor Sara
• Authors: Santi, A., Kugeratski, F. G., and Zanivan, S.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cancer Sciences
• Journal Name: Proteomics
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 1615-9853
• ISSN (Online): 1615-9861
• Published Online: 27 December 2017
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 Wiley
• First Published: First published in Proteomics 18(5-6):1700167
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher