Cancer-associated fibroblasts and macrophages

Abstract

Inflammation, which is now recognized as an hallmark of cancer, is intimately linked to the reactivity of stromal fibroblasts. Accumulating evidence indicate that cancer-associated fibroblasts not only drive the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metabolically sustain the growth of cancer cells, but also engage in a reciprocal relationship with M2 macrophages that dramatically boost malignancy.