Cancer stromal fibroblasts: biology and possibilities of therapeutic manipulation

Similarly to normal organs and tissues, malignant tumor represents a complex tissue which needs many supporting structures including fibroblasts, so called cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). They frequently express smooth muscle actin and produce extracellular matrix and numerous bioactive cytokines. CAF participate in the formation of permissive microenvironment that is important for tumor cells survival and expansion including metastasation (in collaboration with leukocytes). Some data indicate that this microenvironment is essential for function of cancer stem cells. The mutual crosstalk between cancer cells and CAF is similar to epithelial-mesenchymal interaction observed in the healing wounds as was described almost 30 years ago. The cancer microenvironment including CAF seems to represent a potential target of anticancer therapy. The therapeutic manipulation of this microenvironment needs further extensive research and answering the questions about the origin of CAF, the molecular mechanism of cancer cell-CAF interaction and possibility of control of CAF activity.

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