ABSTRACT
The tissue microenvironment supports normal tissue function and regulates the behaviour of parenchymal cells. Tumour cell behaviour, on the other hand, diverges significantly from that of their normal counterparts, rendering the microenvironment hostile to tumour cells. To overcome this problem, tumours can co-opt and remodel the microenvironment to facilitate their growth and spread. This involves modifying both the biochemistry and the biophysics of the normal microenvironment to produce a tumour microenvironment. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and accompanying poster, we outline the key processes by which epithelial tumours influence the establishment of the tumour microenvironment. As the microenvironment is populated by genetically normal cells, we discuss how controlling the microenvironment is both a significant challenge and a key vulnerability for tumours. Finally, we review how new insights into tumour–microenvironment interactions has led to the current consensus on how these processes may be targeted as novel anti-cancer therapies.
Footnotes
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing or financial interests.
Funding
Our work in this area is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, the Australian Research Council, the Royal Adelaide Hospital Research Foundation, The Hospital Research Foundation and the Cancer Council of South Australia.
Cell science at a glance
A high-resolution version of the poster and individual poster panels are available for downloading at http://jcs.biologists.org/lookup/doi/10.1242/jcs.247783.supplemental
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