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The Tumor Microenvironment

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Heteromulticellular Stromal Cells in Scaffold-free 3D Cultures of Epithelial Cancer Cells to Drive Invasion

Heteromulticellular Stromal Cells in Scaffold-free 3D Cultures of Epithelial Cancer Cells to Drive Invasion

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Building a framework for embryonic microenvironments and cancer stem cells.

Antonio Ruiz-Vela¹, Cristóbal Aguilar-Gallardo, Carlos Simón

¹Valencia Node of the Spanish Stem Cell Bank, Prince Felipe Research Center (CIPF), 46012 Valencia, Spain.

Stem Cell Reviews and Reports

|January 9, 2010

Summary

Embryonic stem cell microenvironments may inhibit cancer stem cell growth. Emerging data suggest embryonic stem cells (ESCs) produce factors that reprogram and suppress tumor cell properties, offering a novel cancer therapy approach.

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Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics

Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics

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Last Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Heteromulticellular Stromal Cells in Scaffold-free 3D Cultures of Epithelial Cancer Cells to Drive Invasion

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Published on: April 4, 2025

Fabrication and Use of MicroEnvironment microArrays (MEArrays)

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Published on: October 11, 2012

Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics

Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics

Published on: September 28, 2019

Area of Science:

Cancer Biology
Developmental Biology
Stem Cell Research

Background:

A cancer stem cell niche, involving stromal and stem cell factors, is hypothesized to drive tumor growth in certain systems.
The interaction between cancer stem cells and embryonic stem cell microenvironments is proposed to reprogram cancer cells.

Purpose of the Study:

To discuss emerging data supporting the concept of cancer inhibitory factors.
To explore the role of embryonic microenvironments and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in cancer inhibition.

Main Methods:

Review and discussion of current research data.
Analysis of the proposed mechanisms of cancer cell reprogramming by ESCs.

Main Results:

Emerging data support the existence of cancer inhibitory factors.
Embryonic microenvironments and ESCs show potential in reprogramming and inhibiting tumor cell properties.

Conclusions:

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and their microenvironments may harbor novel cancer inhibitory factors.
This concept offers a new avenue for cancer therapy development by targeting cancer stem cell properties.