The Tumor Microenvironment
Azgar Abdul Rasheed, Venkata Pradeep Babu Koyyala
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is the sum of all the hings the tumor cells are immersed in, including other nonmalignant cells, signaling molecules, the extracellular matrix (ECM), and the surrounding blood vessels. These components are involved in a number of intricate interactions with each other and with the cancer cells, as depicted in [Figure 1]. In 1986, HF Dworak described tumors as "wounds that do not heal," alluding to the similarities between the TME and areas of chronic inflammation in tissues, both having rapidly growing cells causing local tissue ischemia which stimulates the growth of new blood vessels, and through them, an influx of immune cells. However, since a healing wound lacks both cancer stem cells and a limitless supply of growth factors, the healing process merely results in scar formation and not tumors.