Fibroblasts in cancer dormancy: foe or friend?
Li Dai, Li Mao, Wei‐long Zhang, Ya‐Jie Tang, Ya‐ling Tang, Xin‐hua Liang
Abstract
Cancer dormancy is defined that the residual cancer cells could enter into a state of quiescence and patients remain asymptomatic for years or even decades after anti-tumor therapies. Fibroblasts, which represent a predominant cell type in tumor microenvironment, play a pivotal role in determining the ultimate fate of tumor cells. This review recapitulates the pleiotropic roles of fibroblasts which are divided into normal, senescent, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and circulation CAFs in tumor dormancy, relapse, metastasis and resistance to therapy to help the treatment of cancer metastasis.
Topics & Concepts
Cancer-Associated FibroblastsMetastasisCancerDormancyCancer researchCancer cellTumor microenvironmentMedicineAsymptomaticTumor cellsPathologyBiologyImmunologyInternal medicineBotanyGerminationCancer Cells and MetastasisCancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismEpigenetics and DNA Methylation