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The cancer microenvironment, or tumour microenvironment, describes the non-cancerous cells present in the tumour. These include fibroblasts, immune cells and cells that comprise the blood vessels. It also includes the proteins produced by all of the cells present in the tumour that support the growth of the cancer cells.
Cancer cells adjust the composition of their glycocalyx to increase its thickness and create a physical barrier that shields them from immune recognition and engagement.
The tumour microenvironment produces nutrients that propel cancer development. New work finds that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells use one such nutrient, acetate, to alter protein acetylation, rerouting polyamine metabolism and promoting cell growth under acidosis—a finding with potential implications for treating this cancer.
Autotaxin (ATX) produces lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), which directly promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) growth, but the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in ATX-driven tumor growth is unclear. ATX–LPA signaling in PDAC is now shown to shape the TME by inhibiting eosinophil recruitment, resulting in increased tumor growth.
Imaging mass cytometry (IMC) is a powerful single-cell resolution platform for targeted spatial proteomics, but it can be constrained by imaging noise and resolution. Here, the authors propose SpiDe-Sr, a super-resolution network embedded with a denoising module for IMC spatial resolution enhancement.
Cancer cells adjust the composition of their glycocalyx to increase its thickness and create a physical barrier that shields them from immune recognition and engagement.
Recently published in Nature, Fan et al. demonstrate that accumulation of advanced glycation end-products in the extracellular matrix of the liver increases viscoelasticity to promote hepatocellular carcinoma growth, independent of stiffness.
The tumour microenvironment produces nutrients that propel cancer development. New work finds that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells use one such nutrient, acetate, to alter protein acetylation, rerouting polyamine metabolism and promoting cell growth under acidosis—a finding with potential implications for treating this cancer.
Autotaxin (ATX) produces lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), which directly promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) growth, but the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in ATX-driven tumor growth is unclear. ATX–LPA signaling in PDAC is now shown to shape the TME by inhibiting eosinophil recruitment, resulting in increased tumor growth.
In this Tools of the Trade article, Giulia Adriani and Andrea Pavesi describe a new microfluidic device that supports the generation of vascularized 3D tumour models.