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Cancers
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Crosstalk between Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Cancer Cells
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Crosstalk between Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Cancer Cells

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Tumor Microenvironment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2023) | Viewed by 11654

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Lucia Magnelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni, 50-50134 Firenze, Italy
Interests: molecular features of gastric cancer; deregulation of signal transduction in cancer cells; molecular mechanisms of chemoresistance; IRES-mediated transcription modulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Despite the progress made in recent decades, cancer therapy is still a challenging field. Research efforts that have been for a long time focused on the molecular nature of cancer cells have led to the realization that a tumor is not a closed system. Indeed, the complexity of reciprocal interactions with elements of the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME) greatly increases the heterogeneity of tumors and promotes the malignant phenotype in every stage of the disease.

Among components of the TME, the heterogeneous population of cancer-activated fibroblasts (CAFs) plays a pivotal role, providing a constant stimulation for tumor cells and other component of the TME through cell-cell contact and the production of soluble mediators. These stromal cells are a main active component during all stages of neoplastic disease, from onset to metastasization, and are strongly recruited by cancer cells from different, heterogeneoussources. CAFs strongly contribute to the proliferative, pro-inflammatory, pro-angiogenic, pro-invasive, and pro-metastatic properties that TME exerts on cancer. Furthermore, CAFs are involved in cancer resistance to therapy, and contribute to the suppression of the antitumor immune response.  The purpose of this special issue is to stimulate the presentation of scientific data revealing the molecular mechanisms underlying the crosstalk between CAFs and tumor cells.   The discovery of specific function of CAF subpopulation on cancer cell properties like, among the others, cancer onset and progression to late stages of the disease, evasion from immune surveillance and resistance to chemotherapy, can be used to develop novel strategies to indirectly disrupt cancer cell interplay and contribute to the development of a CAF-based strategy for a precision therapy to be combined with conventional anticancer approaches.

Dr. Lucia Magnelli
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • CAF
  • TME
  • cancer
  • signal transduction
  • stroma
  • precision medicine

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3070 KiB  
Article
Heparan-6-O-Endosulfatase 2 Promotes Invasiveness of Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma Cell Lines in Co-Cultures with Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts
by Pritha Mukherjee, Xin Zhou, Julius Benicky, Aswini Panigrahi, Reem Aljuhani, Jian Liu, Laurie Ailles, Vitor H. Pomin, Zhangjie Wang and Radoslav Goldman
Cancers 2023, 15(21), 5168; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15215168 - 27 Oct 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1883
Abstract
Local invasiveness of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a complex phenomenon supported by interaction of the cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment (TME). We and others have shown that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a component of the TME that can [...] Read more.
Local invasiveness of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a complex phenomenon supported by interaction of the cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment (TME). We and others have shown that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a component of the TME that can promote local invasion in HNSCC and other cancers. Here we report that the secretory enzyme heparan-6-O-endosulfatase 2 (Sulf-2) directly affects the CAF-supported invasion of the HNSCC cell lines SCC35 and Cal33 into Matrigel. The Sulf-2 knockout (KO) cells differ from their wild type counterparts in their spheroid growth and formation, and the Sulf-2-KO leads to decreased invasion in a spheroid co-culture model with the CAF. Next, we investigated whether a fucosylated chondroitin sulfate isolated from the sea cucumber Holothuria floridana (HfFucCS) affects the activity of the Sulf-2 enzyme. Our results show that HfFucCS not only efficiently inhibits the Sulf-2 enzymatic activity but, like the Sulf-2 knockout, inhibits Matrigel invasion of SCC35 and Cal33 cells co-cultured with primary HNSCC CAF. These findings suggest that the heparan-6-O-endosulfatases regulate local invasion and could be therapeutically targeted with the inhibitory activity of a marine glycosaminoglycan. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crosstalk between Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Cancer Cells)
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Review

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16 pages, 1932 KiB  
Review
Significance of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in the Interactions of Cancer Cells with the Tumor Microenvironment of Heterogeneous Tumor Tissue
by Yoshimi Arima, Satoko Matsueda and Hideyuki Saya
Cancers 2023, 15(9), 2536; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15092536 - 28 Apr 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2737
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a key role in cancer development and progression, as well as contributes to the therapeutic resistance and metastasis of cancer cells. The TME is heterogeneous and consists of multiple cell types, including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), endothelial cells, and [...] Read more.
The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a key role in cancer development and progression, as well as contributes to the therapeutic resistance and metastasis of cancer cells. The TME is heterogeneous and consists of multiple cell types, including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), endothelial cells, and immune cells, as well as various extracellular components. Recent studies have revealed cross talk between cancer cells and CAFs as well as between CAFs and other TME cells, including immune cells. Signaling by transforming growth factor-β, derived from CAFs, has recently been shown to induce remodeling of tumor tissue, including the promotion of angiogenesis and immune cell recruitment. Immunocompetent mouse cancer models that recapitulate interactions of cancer cells with the TME have provided insight into the TME network and support the development of new anticancer therapeutic strategies. Recent studies based on such models have revealed that the antitumor action of molecularly targeted agents is mediated in part by effects on the tumor immune environment. In this review, we focus on cancer cell–TME interactions in heterogeneous tumor tissue, and we provide an overview of the basis for anticancer therapeutic strategies that target the TME, including immunotherapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crosstalk between Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Cancer Cells)
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21 pages, 1665 KiB  
Review
Reciprocal Regulation of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Tumor Microenvironment in Gastrointestinal Cancer: Implications for Cancer Dormancy
by Shih-Hsuan Cheng, Hsin-Ying Clair Chiou, Jiunn-Wei Wang and Ming-Hong Lin
Cancers 2023, 15(9), 2513; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15092513 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2570
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remain a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite the progress made in current treatments, patients with GI cancers still have high recurrence rates after initial treatment. Cancer dormancy, which involves the entry and escape of cancer cells from dormancy, [...] Read more.
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remain a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite the progress made in current treatments, patients with GI cancers still have high recurrence rates after initial treatment. Cancer dormancy, which involves the entry and escape of cancer cells from dormancy, is linked to treatment resistance, metastasis, and disease relapse. Recently, the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in disease progression and treatment has received increasing attention. The crosstalk between cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF)-secreted cytokines/chemokines and other TME components, for example, extracellular matrix remodeling and immunomodulatory functions, play crucial roles in tumorigenesis. While there is limited direct evidence of a relationship between CAFs and cancer cell dormancy, this review explores the potential of CAF-secreted cytokines/chemokines to either promote cancer cell dormancy or awaken dormant cancer cells under different conditions, and the therapeutic strategies that may be applicable. By understanding the interactions between cytokines/chemokines released by CAFs and the TME, and their impact on the entry/escape of cancer dormancy, researchers may develop new strategies to reduce the risk of therapeutic relapse in patients with GI cancers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crosstalk between Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Cancer Cells)
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14 pages, 588 KiB  
Review
Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Master Tumor Microenvironment Modifiers
by Kellen Wright, Thuc Ly, Matthew Kriet, Andras Czirok and Sufi Mary Thomas
Cancers 2023, 15(6), 1899; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15061899 - 22 Mar 2023
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 3715
Abstract
Cancer cells rely on the tumor microenvironment (TME), a composite of non-malignant cells, and extracellular matrix (ECM), for survival, growth, and metastasis. The ECM contributes to the biomechanical properties of the surrounding tissue, in addition to providing signals for tissue development. Cancer-associated fibroblasts [...] Read more.
Cancer cells rely on the tumor microenvironment (TME), a composite of non-malignant cells, and extracellular matrix (ECM), for survival, growth, and metastasis. The ECM contributes to the biomechanical properties of the surrounding tissue, in addition to providing signals for tissue development. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are stromal cells in the TME that are integral to cancer progression. Subtypes of CAFs across a variety of cancers have been revealed, and each play a different role in cancer progression or suppression. CAFs secrete signaling molecules and remodel the surrounding ECM by depositing its constituents as well as degrading enzymes. In cancer, a remodeled ECM can lead to tumor-promoting effects. Not only does the remodeled ECM promote growth and allow for easier metastasis, but it can also modulate the immune system. A better understanding of how CAFs remodel the ECM will likely yield novel therapeutic targets. In this review, we summarize the key factors secreted by CAFs that facilitate tumor progression, ECM remodeling, and immune suppression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crosstalk between Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Cancer Cells)
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