Abstract
Mutationally corrupted cancer (stem) cells are the driving force of tumor development and progression. Yet, these transformed cells cannot do it alone. Assemblages of ostensibly normal tissue and bone marrow-derived (stromal) cells are recruited to constitute tumorigenic microenvironments. Most of the hallmarks of cancer are enabled and sustained to varying degrees through contributions from repertoires of stromal cell types and distinctive subcell types. Their contributory functions to hallmark capabilities are increasingly well understood, as are the reciprocal communications with neoplastic cancer cells that mediate their recruitment, activation, programming, and persistence. This enhanced understanding presents interesting new targets for anticancer therapy.
Keywords
Stromal cellCancer researchCancer cellTumor microenvironmentCancerBiologyNeoplastic transformationMalignant transformationCancer stem cellStem cellBone marrowCell biologyCarcinogenesisImmunologyTumor cellsGenetics
Affiliated Institutions
Related Publications
Bone-marrow-derived chondrogenesis in vitro
ABSTRACT Bone marrow stromal cells from embryonic, neo-natal and adult chickens were grown in vitro over a 21-day period. Marrow stromal cells from embryonic and neonatal chicks...
Stromal cell-associated hematopoiesis: immortalization and characterization of a primate bone marrow-derived stromal cell line
Abstract An elucidation of the interaction between the bone marrow microenvironment and hematopoietic stem cells is critical to the understanding of the molecular basis of stem ...
Multilineage Cells from Human Adipose Tissue: Implications for Cell-Based Therapies
Future cell-based therapies such as tissue engineering will benefit from a source of autologous pluripotent stem cells. For mesodermal tissue engineering, one such source of cel...
Hematopoiesis and suppressor bone marrow cells in mice bearing large metastatic Lewis lung carcinoma tumors.
Mice bearing a metastatic variant of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC-C3) were studied to determine if there might be a relationship between tumor induced hematopoiesis and immune supp...
The tumor microenvironment
A tumor is not simply a group of cancer cells, but rather a heterogeneous collection of infiltrating and resident host cells, secreted factors and extracellular matrix. Tumor ce...
Publication Info
- Year
- 2012
- Type
- review
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 309-322
- Citations
- 4532
- Access
- Closed
External Links
Social Impact
Altmetric
PlumX Metrics
Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions
Citation Metrics
4532
OpenAlex
Cite This
Douglas Hanahan,
Lisa M. Coussens
(2012).
Accessories to the Crime: Functions of Cells Recruited to the Tumor Microenvironment.
Cancer Cell
, 21
(3)
, 309-322.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2012.02.022
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ccr.2012.02.022