When Neighbors Talk: Colon Cancer Cell Invasion and Tumor Microenvironment Myofibroblasts

Title:When Neighbors Talk: Colon Cancer Cell Invasion and Tumor Microenvironment Myofibroblasts

Volume: 18 Issue: 8

Author(s): Jolien Bridelance, Zuzanna Drebert, Olivier De Wever, Marc Bracke and Ilse M. Beck*

Affiliation:

• Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research, Department of Radiation Oncology & Experimental Cancer Research, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, Building 2RTP,Belgium

Keywords: Cancer, myofibroblast, cancer-associated fibroblast, colon cancer, extracellular matrix, intercellular communication, invasion, tumor microenvironment.

Abstract: Historically, the word cancer is derived from the Latin cancer, as the red swollen arteries near a tumor reminded the physician Galenus and his fellow Romans of a red crab. Currently, cancer remains the disease to beat as it remains a leading cause of death worldwide (WHO). Tumors do not simply consist of cancer cells, as they can recruit normal cells, which will form the tumor-associated stroma. These stromal cells together with the extracellular matrix, constitute the tumor microenvironment. Reciprocal communication between tumor-associated stromal cells and cancer cells is important for the induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and invasion. A detailed knowledge of this communication can spark the development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at tackling yet unaddressed regulators of invasion and thus metastasis. Therefore, this review will focus not only on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and invasion, but also on communication between tumor cells, in particular colon cancer cells, and their stroma, with a primordial focus on cancer-associated fibroblasts, and lastly this review will discuss how this communication can affect the cancer cell’s ability to invade its surroundings and form metastases.

Cite this article as:

Bridelance Jolien, Drebert Zuzanna, De Wever Olivier, Bracke Marc and Beck M. Ilse*, When Neighbors Talk: Colon Cancer Cell Invasion and Tumor Microenvironment Myofibroblasts, Current Drug Targets 2017; 18 (8) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389450117666161028142351