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Review
. 2008 Dec;44(18):2760-5.
doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2008.09.038. Epub 2008 Nov 19.

Molecular characterisation of the tumour microenvironment in breast cancer

Min Hu  1 , Kornelia Polyak
Affiliations
Review

Molecular characterisation of the tumour microenvironment in breast cancer

Min Hu et al. Eur J Cancer. 2008 Dec.

Abstract

The tumour microenvironment plays important roles in cancer initiation, growth, progression, invasion and metastasis, yet the molecular basis underlying these tumour-promoting effects is not fully delineated. Recent advances in gene expression, genetic and epigenetic profiling of stromal cells have improved our understanding of how mesenchymal-epithelial cell interactions may create a permissive microenvironment for malignancy and identified potential targets for cancer prevention and treatment including chemokine and cytokine networks. However, translating these findings into clinical practice may be difficult due to the complexity and redundancy of the interactions and the inherent ability of tumour epithelial cells to evolve and thrive in diverse environmental conditions.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Examples of paracrine interactions between stromal and tumor epithelial cells
Chemokines-CXCL; MMPs-matrix metalloproteinases; HGF-hepatocyte growth factor; TGF-β; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor. Interactions between tumor epithelial and stromal cells promote metastatic spread from the primary tumor. At the same time, bone-marrow derived cells promote growth at sites of distant metastases by preparing a “premetastatic niche”. also
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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