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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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 10, 2026

Establishment and Analysis of Tumor Slice Explants As a Prerequisite for Diagnostic Testing

Establishment and Analysis of Tumor Slice Explants As a Prerequisite for Diagnostic Testing

Published on: November 29, 2018

Evolutionary scalpels for dissecting tumor ecosystems.

Daniel I S Rosenbloom¹, Pablo G Camara¹, Tim Chu¹

¹Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1130 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1130 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 10032, USA.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. Reviews on Cancer

|December 8, 2016

Summary

Cancer evolution principles explain tumor heterogeneity and treatment resistance. Understanding tumors as ecosystems or organs informs strategies like "hit hard, hit early" for better outcomes.

Keywords:

Cancer evolution Combination therapy Drug resistance Genomics Intratumor heterogeneity Mathematical modeling

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Last Updated: Mar 10, 2026

Establishment and Analysis of Tumor Slice Explants As a Prerequisite for Diagnostic Testing

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Published on: March 29, 2021

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Cancer genomics
Tumor microenvironment

Background:

Intratumor heterogeneity is a key challenge in cancer research.
Evolutionary principles are increasingly applied to understand cancer progression.

Purpose of the Study:

To review major advances in cancer research through the lens of evolutionary biology.
To highlight the impact of evolutionary principles on understanding treatment strategies, drug resistance, and metastasis.
To compare two frameworks for understanding tumor heterogeneity: the tumor as a Darwinian ecosystem versus a self-regulating organ.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on cancer genomics and evolutionary biology.
Illustration of how mathematical models inform tumor progression and treatment outcomes.
Discussion of computational and technical hurdles in connecting models to genomic data.

Main Results:

Two dominant frameworks exist for understanding tumor heterogeneity: ecosystem and organ models.
Both frameworks offer insights into treatment strategies, drug resistance, and metastasis.
Mathematical models are crucial for understanding tumor dynamics and treatment efficacy.

Conclusions:

Evolutionary principles provide a powerful framework for understanding cancer heterogeneity.
High-throughput single-cell technologies are crucial for overcoming challenges in integrating models with genomic data.
A deeper understanding of tumor evolution can lead to more effective cancer treatment strategies.