Tumor microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment is a complex ecosystem surrounding a tumor, composed of a variety of non-cancerous cells including blood vessels, immune cells, fibroblasts, signaling molecules and the extracellular matrix. Mutual interaction between cancer cells and the different components of the tumor microenvironment support its growth and invasion in healthy tissues which correlates with tumor resistance to current treatments and poor prognosis. Tumors can influence the microenvironment by releasing extracellular signals, promoting tumor angiogenesis and inducing peripheral immune tolerance, while the immune cells in the microenvironment can affect the growth and evolution of cancerous cells.