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Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Isolation, Culture, and Characterization of Prostate Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts
Published on: August 1, 2025
Importance of carcinoma-associated fibroblast-derived proteins in clinical oncology
Gabor Valcz1, Ferenc Sipos2, Zsolt Tulassay3
1Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract:
Carcinoma-associated fibroblast (CAF) as prominent cell type of the tumour microenvironment has complex interaction with both the cancer cells and other non-neoplastic surrounding cells. The CAF-derived regulators and extracellular matrix proteins can support cancer progression by providing a protective microenvironment for the cancer cells via reduction of chemotherapy sensitivity. On the other hand, these proteins may act as powerful prognostic markers as well as potential targets of anticancer therapy. In this review, we summarise the clinical importance of the major CAF-derived signals influencing tumour behaviour and determining the outcome of chemotherapy.
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