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The Tumor Microenvironment

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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: Jun 14, 2026

Evaluation of Tumor-infiltrating Leukocyte Subsets in a Subcutaneous Tumor Model

Evaluation of Tumor-infiltrating Leukocyte Subsets in a Subcutaneous Tumor Model

Published on: April 13, 2015

Stromal Cell Subsets Modulate T-cell Infiltration in Early Breast Cancer.

Julia Chen^1,2,3, Hanyun Zhang^1,2, Travis Ruan^1,2

¹Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia.

Cancer Research Communications

|June 12, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Stromal cell subsets in breast cancer tumors have distinct spatial arrangements impacting anti-tumor immunity. Certain stromal types correlate with immune exclusion and T-cell segregation, affecting patient outcomes.

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Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples

Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples

Published on: October 2, 2020

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Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Evaluation of Tumor-infiltrating Leukocyte Subsets in a Subcutaneous Tumor Model

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Published on: April 13, 2015

Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples

Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples

Published on: October 2, 2020

Area of Science:

Oncology
Immunology
Cancer Biology

Background:

Tumor microenvironment heterogeneity includes diverse stromal cells influencing anti-tumor immunity in breast cancer.
The functional and spatial interactions of stromal cells with immune cells in breast cancer remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the abundance, spatial distribution, and immune cell co-localization of stromal subsets within the breast cancer tumor microenvironment.
To correlate these stromal and immune features with clinicopathological characteristics and patient outcomes in breast cancer.

Main Methods:

Multiplex immunofluorescence staining was performed on tumor microarrays from 591 breast cancer patients.
Analysis focused on the spatial co-localization of distinct stromal and immune cell subsets.
Correlations with clinicopathological features and patient survival data were assessed.

Main Results:

Stromal cells exhibited distinct spatial patterns within the tumor microenvironment.
A perivascular-like stromal subset, disseminated throughout the stroma, was linked to immune-cold regions and T-cell exclusion.
An inflammatory-like cancer-associated fibroblast subset correlated with the segregation of T cells from cancer cells.

Conclusions:

Specific stromal cell subsets differentially regulate immune cell infiltration and activation within the breast cancer tumor microenvironment.
These findings underscore the importance of stromal heterogeneity in shaping anti-tumor immunity and have potential implications for breast cancer patient outcomes.