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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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A Brain Tumor/Organotypic Slice Co-culture System for Studying Tumor Microenvironment and Targeted Drug Therapies

A Brain Tumor/Organotypic Slice Co-culture System for Studying Tumor Microenvironment and Targeted Drug Therapies

Published on: November 7, 2015

Tumors and their microenvironments: Learning from pediatric brain pathologies.

Ruth Nussinov¹, Bengi Ruken Yavuz², Hyunbum Jang³

¹Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. Reviews on Cancer

|April 20, 2025

Summary

Studying embryonic brain development and pathologies offers new insights into pediatric brain tumors. Understanding developmental processes can inform novel therapeutic strategies for both neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer.

Keywords:

CAFs Cancer microenvironment Epigenetics Lineage Overexpression Transcription factors Tumor aggressiveness

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Processing of Primary Brain Tumor Tissue for Stem Cell Assays and Flow Sorting

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Published on: September 25, 2012

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Oncology

Background:

Embryonic development provides early clues to tumor and microenvironment origins.
The embryonic brain is highly complex, with its dysregulation linked to neurodevelopmental pathologies and pediatric tumors.
Spatial heterogeneity in embryonic brain pathologies mirrors the tumor microenvironment.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the embryonic brain and its pathologies as a model for understanding tumor evolution.
To investigate reciprocal learning between developmental brain pathologies and tumor pharmacology.
To identify how studying tumors can benefit targeting neurodevelopmental pathologies.

Main Methods:

Literature review focusing on embryonic development, brain pathologies, and pediatric tumors.
Comparative analysis of differentiation (embryonic brain) and dedifferentiation (tumors) processes.
Exploration of spatial heterogeneity in both developmental and pathological contexts.

Main Results:

Embryonic brain pathologies highlight the critical role of spatial heterogeneity over time.
Both embryonic brains and tumors undergo epigenetic modulations, albeit in opposite directions (differentiation vs. dedifferentiation).
Potential for cross-disciplinary insights between developmental neurobiology and cancer research.

Conclusions:

Learning from embryonic brain development and pathologies can offer novel therapeutic targets for pediatric brain tumors.
Understanding tumor microenvironments can inform strategies for treating neurodevelopmental brain pathologies.
This comparative approach holds promise for advancing treatments for both developmental disorders and cancers.