Modulation of tumor microenvironment by chemopreventive natural products.

The tumor microenvironment provides a niche in which cancer cells and their surrounding stromal cells reside and in which their interactions occur. The cross talk between cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment promotes many biological processes to support cancer cell growth, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Recently, not only cancer cells but also multiple types of surrounding stromal cells, including endothelial cells, immune cells, and fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment, have been recognized to be attractive targets for reducing resistance to anticancer therapy and tumor recurrence. Many natural products present in fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and some marine organisms have been reported to inhibit, delay, or reverse multistage carcinogenesis and to inhibit the proliferation of cancerous cells and the self-renewal capacity of preexisting cancer stem-like cells. Some of these naturally occurring chemopreventive and anticarcinogenic substances can modulate the signal transduction involved in maintaining the activities/functions of stromal cells and their interactions with cancer cells within the tumor microenvironment.