Tumor microenvironment

<p>The tumor microenvironment is a complex ecosystem surrounding a <a href="/facts/Neoplasm/K0ytzmPz">tumor</a>, composed of cancer cells, stromal tissue (including <a href="/facts/Blood_vessel/FG3GjPNW">blood vessels</a>, <a href="/facts/White_blood_cell/vsDunUK0">immune cells</a>, <a href="/facts/Fibroblast/n08KsFll">fibroblasts</a> and <a href="/facts/Cell_signaling/6oYAVP9I">signaling molecules</a>) and the <a href="/facts/Extracellular_matrix/kaHC5Ez8">extracellular matrix</a>. Mutual interaction between cancer cells and the different components of the tumor microenvironment support its growth and invasion in healthy tissues which correlates with tumor resistance to current treatments and poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment is in constant change because of the tumor's ability to influence the microenvironment by releasing extracellular signals, promoting <a href="/facts/Angiogenesis/h0HF9IUd">tumor angiogenesis</a> and inducing <a href="/facts/Immune_tolerance/hvDqPHTP">peripheral immune tolerance</a>, while the immune cells in the microenvironment can affect the growth and evolution of <a href="/facts/Cancer/PVW6n1D0">cancerous</a> cells.
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Tumor microenvironment open-in-new

Tumor microenvironment