The tumour microenvironment

The tumour mass consists not only of a heterogeneous population of cancer cells but also a variety of resident and infiltrating host cells, secreted factors and extracellular matrix proteins, collectively known as the tumour microenvironment. Tumour progression is profoundly influenced by interactions of cancer cells with their environment that ultimately determine whether the primary tumour is eradicated, metastasizes or establishes dormant micrometastases. The tumour microenvironment can also shape therapeutic responses and resistance, justifying the recent impetus to target components of the tumour microenvironment, which is best exemplified by the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the clinic.

This Collection of the most recently published articles from Nature Reviews Cancer showcases the diverse aspects of tumour microenvironment research, and we hope it will be a valuable resource to research scientists, clinicians and students interested in this field.