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Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Ex vivo Live Imaging of Lung Metastasis and Their Microenvironment
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The lung microenvironment: an important regulator of tumour growth and metastasis

Nasser K Altorki1,2,3, Geoffrey J Markowitz1,2, Dingcheng Gao1,2,3,4

  • 1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

Nature Reviews. Cancer
|December 12, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Lung cancer, a leading cause of cancer deaths, involves complex tumor microenvironments. Understanding these environments offers new strategies for targeted lung cancer therapies and biomarkers.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Lung cancer is a leading global cause of cancer mortality.
  • Molecularly targeted therapies show promise but face resistance.
  • The tumor microenvironment's role in lung cancer is increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in understanding the lung tumor microenvironment.
  • To explore how the microenvironment influences primary tumors and metastasis.
  • To discuss therapeutic and biomarker potential.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent advances in lung cancer research.
  • Synthesis of concepts on tumor microenvironment reprogramming.
  • Analysis of inflammation, angiogenesis, and immune modulation.

Main Results:

  • The reprogrammed lung microenvironment promotes primary tumor growth and metastasis.
  • Key processes include inflammation, angiogenesis, and immune modulation.
  • Emerging concepts highlight the microenvironment's impact on therapy response.

Conclusions:

  • The lung tumor microenvironment is crucial for cancer progression and therapy resistance.
  • Targeting microenvironmental processes may overcome resistance.
  • Biomarkers and novel therapies can be developed from this understanding.

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