Role of heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts in targeted therapy of pancreatic cancer

VernacularTitle:癌相关成纤维细胞的异质性在靶向胰腺癌治疗中的角色
Author: Zhiying YAN ; Yifeng MAO ; Yingwei ZHU ; Kequn XU
From: Journal of International Oncology 2021;48(5):308-312
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: The incidence of pancreatic cancer is increasing year by year, but the clinical diagnosis and treatment progress is limited and the prognosis is poor. Tumor microenvironment (TME) is closely related to the invasion, metastasis and chemotherapy resistance of pancreatic cancer. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are fibroblasts in a state of continuous activation, which are the most prominent components in TME. CAFs can promote the malignant biological behavior of pancreatic cancer through a variety of molecule-mediated mechanisms. Moreover, several attempts targeting CAFs for the treatment of pancreatic cancer have been largely unsuccessful. It may be related to the heterogeneity of CAFs in pancreatic cancer. Therefore, in-depth study of its heterogeneity and accurate targeting of some specific phenotypes and functional CAFs subtypes in the matrix on this basis may be more promising in the clinical treatment of pancreatic cancer.