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The cancer microenvironment, or tumour microenvironment, describes the non-cancerous cells present in the tumour. These include fibroblasts, immune cells and cells that comprise the blood vessels. It also includes the proteins produced by all of the cells present in the tumour that support the growth of the cancer cells.
DNA methyltransferase inhibitors potentiate anti-tumor immunity by inducing tumor immunogenicity and improving antigen processing through the STING-dependent type I interferon response.
The impact of obesity on cancer remains insufficiently explored. Here the authors show that in mouse models, dysfunctional adipocytes exhibit low levels of BECN1 which induce YAP/TAZ activity to promote breast and colorectal tumor progression.
Single-cell sequencing has enabled detailed analyses of the tumour microenvironment (TME). Here, the authors perform an integrative analysis of the TME using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics data from over a thousand tumours across thirty cancer types, identifying interferon-enriched community states predictive of immunotherapeutic responses.
In this Tools of the Trade article, Zuzana Tatarova describes the development of MIMA, an integrated analytical platform providing the quantitative information on tumour microenvironment drug responses required for effective treatment design.
In this recent study, He et al. establish that chronic stress promotes metastasis through stress-induced formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).
Cancer cells adjust the composition of their glycocalyx to increase its thickness and create a physical barrier that shields them from immune recognition and engagement.