Li Yutao, Liu Qingyun, Jing Xilin, Wang Yuqi, Jia Xiaohua, Yang Xing, Chen Kezhong
Department of Thoracic Surgery Peking University People's Hospital Beijing China.
Thoracic Oncology Institute Peking University People's Hospital Beijing China.
MedComm (2020). 2025 Jul 11;6(7):e70292. doi: 10.1002/mco2.70292. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are functionally diverse stromal regulators that orchestrate tumor progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance through dynamic crosstalk within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Recent advances in single-cell multiomics and spatial transcriptomics have identified conserved CAF subtypes with distinct molecular signatures, spatial distributions, and context-dependent roles, highlighting their dual capacity to promote immunosuppression or restrain tumor growth. However, therapeutic strategies struggle to reconcile this functional duality, hindering clinical translation. This review systematically categorizes CAF subtypes by origin, biomarkers, and TME-specific functions, focusing on their roles in chemoresistance, maintenance of stemness, and formation of immunosuppressive niches. We evaluate emerging targeting approaches, including selective depletion of tumor-promoting subsets (e.g., fibroblast activation protein+ CAFs), epigenetic reprogramming toward antitumor phenotypes, and inhibition of CXCL12/CXCR4 or transforming growth factor-beta signaling pathways. Spatial multiomics-driven combinatorial therapies, such as the synergistic use of CAFs and immune checkpoint inhibitors, are highlighted as strategies to overcome microenvironment-driven resistance. By integrating CAF biology with translational advances, this work provides a roadmap for developing subtype-specific biomarkers and precision stromal therapies, directly informing efforts to disrupt tumor-stroma coevolution. Key concepts include spatial transcriptomics, stromal reprogramming, and tumor-stroma coevolution, offering actionable insights for both mechanistic research and clinical innovation.
癌症相关成纤维细胞(CAFs)是功能多样的基质调节因子,通过肿瘤微环境(TME)内的动态串扰来协调肿瘤进展、转移和治疗抗性。单细胞多组学和空间转录组学的最新进展已鉴定出具有不同分子特征、空间分布和背景依赖性作用的保守CAF亚型,突出了它们促进免疫抑制或抑制肿瘤生长的双重能力。然而,治疗策略难以协调这种功能二元性,阻碍了临床转化。本综述按起源、生物标志物和TME特异性功能对CAF亚型进行系统分类,重点关注它们在化疗抗性、干性维持和免疫抑制微环境形成中的作用。我们评估了新兴的靶向方法,包括选择性清除促肿瘤亚群(如成纤维细胞活化蛋白阳性CAFs)、向抗肿瘤表型的表观遗传重编程,以及抑制CXCL12/CXCR4或转化生长因子-β信号通路。空间多组学驱动的联合疗法,如CAFs与免疫检查点抑制剂的协同使用,被强调为克服微环境驱动抗性的策略。通过将CAF生物学与转化进展相结合,这项工作为开发亚型特异性生物标志物和精准基质疗法提供了路线图,直接为破坏肿瘤-基质协同进化的努力提供信息。关键概念包括空间转录组学、基质重编程和肿瘤-基质协同进化,为机制研究和临床创新提供了可操作的见解。
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