Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

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...

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

UEG Journal-In Times of Turmoil, Science Matters.

United European gastroenterology journal·2026

Same author

Fibroblasts: a diverse population of cells balancing homeostasis, wound healing, regeneration, inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer across organs.

JCI insight·2026

Same author

[Robotic Management of a Bile Leak After Cholecystectomy Caused by an Aberrant Bile Duct of the Hepatic Segments, Using a Combined Biliodigestive Anastomosis Incorporating the Cystic Duct Stump].

Zentralblatt fur Chirurgie·2026

Same author

MYC-Mediated USP39 Upregulation Stabilizes SRSF1 in Pancreatic Cancer.

Molecular cancer research : MCR·2026

Same author

A first-in-human, open-label multicentre Phase 1 study of the orally administered E7386 in patients with selected advanced neoplasms.

British journal of cancer·2026

Same author

Brain metastasis from KRAS wild-type pancreatic cancer and organoid correlates: a case report.

Journal of gastrointestinal oncology·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Ultrasound-Guided Orthotopic Implantation of Murine Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Ultrasound-Guided Orthotopic Implantation of Murine Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Published on: November 19, 2019

The pancreas cancer microenvironment.

Christine Feig¹, Aarthi Gopinathan, Albrecht Neesse

¹Cambridge Research Institute, Cancer Research UK.

Clinical Cancer Research : an Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research

|August 17, 2012

Summary

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a deadly cancer where therapies often fail due to its dense tumor microenvironment. Targeting this stroma offers new hope for improving treatment efficacy in pancreatic cancer patients.

More Related Videos

Growing Desmoplastic Three-Dimensional Pancreatic Cancer Spheroids from Co-Culture

Growing Desmoplastic Three-Dimensional Pancreatic Cancer Spheroids from Co-Culture

Published on: September 27, 2024

Isolation of Proximal Fluids to Investigate the Tumor Microenvironment of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Isolation of Proximal Fluids to Investigate the Tumor Microenvironment of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Published on: November 5, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Ultrasound-Guided Orthotopic Implantation of Murine Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Ultrasound-Guided Orthotopic Implantation of Murine Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Published on: November 19, 2019

Growing Desmoplastic Three-Dimensional Pancreatic Cancer Spheroids from Co-Culture

Growing Desmoplastic Three-Dimensional Pancreatic Cancer Spheroids from Co-Culture

Published on: September 27, 2024

Isolation of Proximal Fluids to Investigate the Tumor Microenvironment of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Isolation of Proximal Fluids to Investigate the Tumor Microenvironment of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Published on: November 5, 2020

Area of Science:

Oncology
Cancer Biology
Tumor Microenvironment Research

Background:

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a highly lethal malignancy with poor therapeutic outcomes.
Current cytotoxic and targeted therapies demonstrate limited efficacy in PDA patients.
The abundant tumor stroma, or tumor microenvironment (TME), is a key characteristic of PDA.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the current understanding of the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumor microenvironment.
To highlight the role of the TME in supporting tumor growth, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance.
To identify opportunities for therapeutic strategies targeting the PDA TME.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma stroma and TME.
Analysis of the composition and function of the PDA TME, including extracellular matrix and nonneoplastic cells.
Discussion of therapeutic strategies targeting stromal components and pathways.

Main Results:

The PDA stroma comprises the majority of the tumor mass, including extracellular matrix, fibroblastic, vascular, and immune cells.
The TME supports tumor progression, metastasis, and acts as a physical barrier to drug delivery.
Therapeutic approaches targeting the TME, such as Notch/Hedgehog pathway inhibition and hyaluronidase treatment, are under investigation.

Conclusions:

The pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in disease progression and treatment failure.
Modulating the TME presents a promising avenue for developing more effective therapies for PDA.
Further exploration of TME-targeting strategies is crucial for improving patient outcomes in pancreatic cancer.