Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil.
Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK.
Oral Oncol. 2020 Nov;110:104972. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2020.104972. Epub 2020 Oct 1.
Complex interactions take place during cancer formation and progression. In this regard, there has been increasing focus on the non-malignant cells that make up the tumour microenvironment (TME), and how they interact with malignant tumour cells. TME is highly heterogeneous and has a major influence on tumour behaviour and therapy response. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), one of the main components of the TME, establish dangerous liaisons with cancer cells and other components of the TME to shape a tumour-supportive environment in many types of cancer. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) encompass the malignant neoplasms arising from the mucosal lining of the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx. The TME of HNSCC contributes to tumour progression and this stromal compartment may be an interesting target for treatment. There is an emerging picture of the behaviour of CAFs in HNSCC; how they affect and are affected by the TME. We aim to summarise and discuss the current understanding of CAFs in head and neck cancer, exploring CAF activation and heterogeneity, and interaction with cancer cells and other cells within the TME.
在癌症的形成和发展过程中会发生复杂的相互作用。在这方面，人们越来越关注构成肿瘤微环境（TME）的非恶性细胞，以及它们如何与恶性肿瘤细胞相互作用。TME 具有高度异质性，并对肿瘤行为和治疗反应有重大影响。癌症相关成纤维细胞（CAFs）是 TME 的主要组成部分之一，与癌细胞和 TME 的其他成分建立危险的联系，在多种类型的癌症中塑造了有利于肿瘤生长的环境。头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）包括口腔、咽和喉的粘膜衬里发生的恶性肿瘤。HNSCC 的 TME 促进肿瘤进展，而间质区可能是治疗的一个有趣靶点。目前对头颈部鳞状细胞癌中 CAFs 行为的研究已经有了一些新的认识；它们如何影响和受 TME 的影响。我们旨在总结和讨论目前对头颈部癌症中 CAFs 的理解，探讨 CAF 的激活和异质性，以及与肿瘤细胞和 TME 中的其他细胞的相互作用。
