The role of tumor microenvironment in therapeutic resistance

• Published in: Oncotarget Vol. 8; no. 3; pp. 3933 - 3945
• Main Authors: Son, Beomseok, Lee, Sungmin, Youn, HyeSook, Kim, EunGi, Kim, Wanyeon, Youn, BuHyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Impact Journals LLC 17.01.2017
• Subjects: Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - metabolism; Myeloid Cells - cytology; Myeloid Cells - metabolism; Neoplasms - metabolism; Radiation Tolerance; Research Paper; Tumor Microenvironment; cancer-associated fibroblasts; myeloid cells; tumor microenvironment; therapeutic resistance; mesenchymal stem cells
• ISSN: 1949-2553; 1949-2553
• DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13907

Cancer cells undergo unlimited progression and survival owing to activation of oncogenes. However, support of the tumor microenvironment is essential to the formation of clinically relevant tumors. Recent evidence indicates that the tumor microenvironment is a critical regulator of immune escape, progression, and distant metastasis of cancer. Moreover, the tumor microenvironment is known to be involved in acquired resistance of tumors to various therapies. Despite significant advances in chemotherapy and radiotherapy, occurrence of therapeutic resistance leads to reduced efficacy. This review highlights myeloid cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and mesenchymal stem cells consisting of the tumor microenvironment, as well as the relevant signaling pathways that eventually render cancer cells to be therapeutically resistant.