Journal article
Plasticity and Functional Heterogeneity of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts
Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.), v 85(18)
29 Jul 2025
PMID: 40729489
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Tumor heterogeneity and plasticity enable adaptation to metastatic microenvironments and resistance to therapies. Recent progress in single-cell analyses has permitted detailed characterization of the complexity and diversity of the different tumor components in multiple tumor types. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a central component of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and play critical roles in cancer progression and therapeutic response. The identification of different CAF subtypes and elucidation of their functional plasticity is crucial to identify novel therapeutic approaches to target pro-tumorigenic CAFs and harness tumor suppressive CAFs to enhance the efficacy of cancer treatments. In this review, we discuss how intrinsic and extrinsic factors and the extensive crosstalk between cancer cells and the TME promote CAF heterogeneity and their contributions to cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. Understanding the roles of CAF plasticity and their intercellular interactions may drive the development of effective treatment strategies to improve patient prognosis.
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Details
- Title
- Plasticity and Functional Heterogeneity of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts
- Creators
- Jacqueline M Flynn - Thomas Jefferson UniversityNikita Thadani - Thomas Jefferson UniversityErin E Gallagher - Thomas Jefferson UniversityIsabella Azzaro - Thomas Jefferson UniversityCameron M Bodnar - Lankenau Institute for Medical ResearchColin P McCarty - Lankenau Institute for Medical ResearchGabriele Romano - Drexel UniversityMarie R Webster - Lankenau Institute for Medical ResearchClaudia Capparelli - Thomas Jefferson University
- Publication Details
- Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.), v 85(18)
- Publisher
- American Association for Cancer Research
- Number of pages
- 21
- Grant note
- U.S. Department of Defense (DOD): HT9425-23-MRP-MASA-ME230214 Department of DefenseW.W. Smith Charitable TrustMelanoma Institute of Excellence (MRIE) at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC)SKCCC Goal Line AwardWomen's Board of the Lankenau Medical Center: T32 GM144302 National Institutes of Health National Institute of General Medical Sciences
We thank Lauren Langbein for suggestions, feedback, and critical reading of the manuscript. This manuscript was supported by the Department of Defense (HT9425-23-MRP-MASA-ME230214), the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust, and the Melanoma Institute of Excellence (MRIE) at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC) and SKCCC Goal Line Award grants to C. Capparelli. Additional funding includes the Women's Board of the Lankenau Medical Center to M.R. Webster and the National Institutes of Health National Institute of General Medical Sciences Grant T32 GM144302 to E.E. Gallagher.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Pharmacology and Physiology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001572293900015
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105016024922
- Other Identifier
- 991022068076204721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Oncology