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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.
Chen et al. report findings from a phase 1 dose expansion study of the tumor microenvironment modulator VT1021 in patients with solid tumors. VT1021 is found to be safe and tolerable, with preliminary evidence of efficacy and biomarkers of response.
In this Tools of the Trade article, Zuzana Tatarova describes the development of MIMA, an integrated analytical platform providing the quantitative information on tumour microenvironment drug responses required for effective treatment design.
In this recent study, He et al. establish that chronic stress promotes metastasis through stress-induced formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).
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.