Role of Integrins in the Tumor Stroma

Tumor cells while growing and progressing similarly affect their surrounding microenvironment. This microenvironment co-evolves into an activated state, activating, and altering the release of a number of cytokines or chemokines. These alterations in signaling promote cancer initiation and progression. One of hallmarks of cancer progression is the formation of a so-called tumor stroma surrounding the tumor cells, which includes endothelial cells, fibroblasts, macrophages, and other immune cells as well as extracellular matrix. Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of main contributors to tumor stroma and desmoplastic reaction within the TME. CAFs are very diverse in origin and phenotype in a tumor microenvironment. Integrins in tumor stroma is one of greatly researched topics with focuses on functions of integrins in cancer, activation of signaling pathways, and molecular mechanisms used in cancer progression, migration, and metastasis. Thus, targeting integrins expressed in the tumor stroma has become an important field of exploration for scientists leading to many drugs targeting specific integrins or integrin subunits.