Abstract

Tumours are known as wounds that do not heal — this implies that cells that are involved in angiogenesis and the response to injury, such as endothelial cells and fibroblasts, have a prominent role in the progression, growth and spread of cancers. Fibroblasts are associated with cancer cells at all stages of cancer progression, and their structural and functional contributions to this process are beginning to emerge. Their production of growth factors, chemokines and extracellular matrix facilitates the angiogenic recruitment of endothelial cells and pericytes. Fibroblasts are therefore a key determinant in the malignant progression of cancer and represent an important target for cancer therapies.

Author affiliations

1. Center for Matrix Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
2. Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
3. Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.

Correspondence to: Raghu Kalluri^1,2,3 Email: rkalluri@BIDMC.Harvard.edu

Published online 30 March 2006

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