Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 4, 2025

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts from Mouse Mammary Tumors as Tools for Molecular and Computational Studies
09:01

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts from Mouse Mammary Tumors as Tools for Molecular and Computational Studies

Published on: July 3, 2025

176

CAFs orchestrates tumor immune microenvironment-A new target in cancer therapy?

Chunxue Zhang1, Yuxiang Fei2, Hui Wang1

  • 1School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.

Frontiers in Pharmacology
|April 3, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) hinder effective cancer immunotherapy by promoting tumor progression. Understanding CAFs

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Cancer immunotherapy shows promise but faces challenges due to poor specificity and therapeutic resistance.
  • Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a crucial role in regulating the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME).
  • CAFs contribute to tumor progression and immune evasion, impacting treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in understanding the immunosuppressive functions of CAFs.
  • To highlight the mechanisms by which CAFs interact with immune cells.
  • To discuss current therapeutic strategies targeting CAFs for cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on CAFs and cancer immunology.
  • Analysis of mechanisms underlying CAF-immune cell crosstalk.
  • Evaluation of current and emerging CAF-targeted therapies.

Main Results:

  • CAFs actively shape the TIME to favor tumor progression.
  • CAF-immune cell interactions lead to immunosuppression, hindering immunotherapy.
  • Targeting CAFs presents a potential strategy to overcome treatment resistance.

Conclusions:

  • CAFs are key regulators of the tumor immune microenvironment and a significant barrier to effective cancer immunotherapy.
  • Further research into CAF-immune cell interactions is crucial for developing novel therapeutic approaches.
  • Targeting CAFs offers a promising avenue for enhancing the efficacy of cancer treatments.
Keywords:
CAF-targeted therapycancercancer-associated fibroblastsimmune cellstumor microenvironment

More Related Videos

Isolation of Primary Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts from a Syngeneic Murine Model of Breast Cancer for the Study of Targeted Nanoparticles08:02

Isolation of Primary Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts from a Syngeneic Murine Model of Breast Cancer for the Study of Targeted Nanoparticles

Published on: May 14, 2021

5.7K
Three-dimensional Co-culture Model for Tumor-stromal Interaction08:39

Three-dimensional Co-culture Model for Tumor-stromal Interaction

Published on: February 2, 2015

17.4K

Related Concept Videos

The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

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...
6.7K
Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
598
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
7.7K
Cancer Vaccines01:30

Cancer Vaccines

Cancer treatment vaccines are a rapidly evolving field that offers a promising approach to immunotherapy. Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent diseases, cancer treatment vaccines are designed to treat existing cancers by stimulating the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
Cancer vaccines come in two categories: preventive (prophylactic) and treatment (active). Preventive vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protect against viruses that cause certain...
459
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
5.9K
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance02:40

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...
5.0K