Home LiteratureArticle Details
PMID: 8821094 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Review

The role of fibroblasts in tumor behavior.

Cancer metastasis reviews ·Vol. 14 ·No. 4 ·1995-12-00 ·Pages 339-50

Grégoire M, Lieubeau B

Abstract

The prominent desmoplastic or stromal reaction seen in many invasive carcinomas suggests that stromal cells play a role in cancer pathogenesis. Investigations based on cell typing, using antibodies to cytoskeletal constituents, have revealed that most tumors contain various types of fibroblasts. Stromal cells with myofibroblastic differentiation features are the predominant cell type at the periphery of epithelial tumors. These tumor-activated fibroblasts play a major role in tumor development and spread, affecting the proliferation, differentiation, invasion or regression of cancer cells. This review considers the events inducing the different fibroblastic responses and the role of tumor-activated fibroblasts in both tumor development and anti-cancer treatments.

MeSH Terms
Cell Differentiation/physiology Cell Division/physiology Fibroblasts/physiology Humans Neoplasm Invasiveness Neoplasms/pathology Stromal Cells/physiology
Authors & Affiliations
2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Grégoire M
Institut de Biologie, INSERM U419, Nantes, France.
Lieubeau B
References (106)
106 references, click to expand
  1. Growth factors and cancer.
    Cancer Res. 1986 Mar;46(3):1015-29 PMID: 3002607
  2. Suppression of the generation of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells by serum-free supernatants of in vitro maintained tumour cell lines.
    Br J Cancer. 1989 Apr;59(4):515-21 PMID: 2785396
  3. Growth factors and wound healing: biochemical properties of growth factors and their receptors.
    Am J Surg. 1993 Jun;165(6):728-37 PMID: 8506974
  4. Stromal myofibroblasts in primary invasive and metastatic carcinomas. A combined immunological, light and electron microscopic study.
    Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histol. 1981;391(2):125-39 PMID: 7013254
  5. Immunohistochemical staining for transforming growth factor beta 1 associates with disease progression in human breast cancer.
    Cancer Res. 1992 Dec 15;52(24):6949-52 PMID: 1458485
  6. Stromal cell changes in human colorectal adenomas and carcinomas. An ultrastructural study of fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells.
    Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histopathol. 1983;401(2):209-22 PMID: 6415905
  7. Participation of tenascin and transforming growth factor-beta in reciprocal epithelial-mesenchymal interactions of MCF7 cells and fibroblasts.
    Cancer Res. 1989 Aug 1;49(15):4322-5 PMID: 2472877
  8. Tenascin induction in tenascin nonproducing carcinoma cell lines in vivo and by TGF-beta 1 in vitro.
    J Cell Physiol. 1994 Jun;159(3):561-72 PMID: 7514613
  9. Modulation of the invasive phenotype of human colon carcinoma cells by organ specific fibroblasts of nude mice.
    Differentiation. 1992 Dec;52(1):101-10 PMID: 1286773
  10. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 overproduction in prostate cancer: effects on growth in vivo and in vitro.
    Mol Endocrinol. 1992 Jan;6(1):15-25 PMID: 1738367
  11. Latent transforming growth factor-beta in serum. A specific complex with alpha 2-macroglobulin.
    J Biol Chem. 1987 Oct 15;262(29):14090-9 PMID: 2443501
  12. Lack of the latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein in malignant, but not benign prostatic tissue.
    Cancer Res. 1993 Jul 1;53(13):3193-7 PMID: 7686449
  13. Role of transforming growth factor-beta in repair and fibrosis.
    Chest. 1991 Mar;99(3 Suppl):61S-65S PMID: 1997279
  14. Regulatory pathways in tumor growth and invasion.
    Lab Invest. 1991 Sep;65(3):262-71 PMID: 1890806
  15. Expression of the stromelysin-3 gene in fibroblastic cells of invasive carcinomas of the breast and other human tissues: a review.
    Breast Cancer Res Treat. 1993;24(3):185-93 PMID: 8435474
  16. Association between invasiveness, inflammatory reaction, desmoplasia and survival in colorectal cancer.
    J Clin Pathol. 1989 Feb;42(2):162-6 PMID: 2921357
  17. Mechanisms of tumor invasion: evidence from in vivo observations.
    Cancer Metastasis Rev. 1985;4(4):293-309 PMID: 3907822
  18. The biology of SPARC, a protein that modulates cell-matrix interactions.
    FASEB J. 1994 Feb;8(2):163-73 PMID: 8119487
  19. Transforming growth factor-beta activity is potentiated by heparin via dissociation of the transforming growth factor-beta/alpha 2-macroglobulin inactive complex.
    J Cell Biol. 1989 Jul;109(1):441-8 PMID: 2473082
  20. Type IV collagenase (M(r) 72,000) expression in human prostate: benign and malignant tissue.
    Cancer Res. 1993 Feb 15;53(4):878-83 PMID: 7679051
  21. Morphological observations during developing concomitant immunity against a C3H/He mammary tumor.
    Cancer Res. 1985 Feb;45(2):659-66 PMID: 3967241
  22. Messenger RNA for two type IV collagenases is located in stromal cells in human colon cancer.
    Am J Pathol. 1993 Feb;142(2):359-65 PMID: 8434636
  23. Heterogeneity of myofibroblast phenotypic features: an example of fibroblastic cell plasticity.
    Virchows Arch. 1994;425(1):3-24 PMID: 7921410
  24. Transforming growth factor beta 1 in ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinomas of the breast.
    Eur J Cancer. 1992;28(2-3):641-4 PMID: 1317202
  25. Production of transforming growth factors by human colon cancer lines.
    Cancer Res. 1986 Mar;46(3):1164-9 PMID: 3002610
  26. Reaction of alpha 2-macroglobulin with plasmin increases binding of transforming growth factors-beta 1 and beta 2.
    Biochim Biophys Acta. 1991 Jan 31;1091(2):197-204 PMID: 1704799
  27. Transforming growth factor-beta increases steady state levels of type I procollagen and fibronectin messenger RNAs posttranscriptionally in cultured human dermal fibroblasts.
    J Clin Invest. 1987 Apr;79(4):1285-8 PMID: 3470308
  28. Distribution and modulation of the cellular receptor for transforming growth factor-beta.
    J Cell Biol. 1987 Aug;105(2):965-75 PMID: 2887577
  29. Influence of organ environment on extracellular matrix degradative activity and metastasis of human colon carcinoma cells.
    J Natl Cancer Inst. 1990 Dec 19;82(24):1890-8 PMID: 2174463
  30. Elevated levels of transforming growth factor beta messenger RNA and its polypeptide in human hepatocellular carcinoma.
    Cancer Res. 1991 Aug 1;51(15):4080-3 PMID: 1649698
  31. Regulation of fibronectin and type I collagen mRNA levels by transforming growth factor-beta.
    J Biol Chem. 1987 May 15;262(14):6443-6 PMID: 3471760
  32. Effects of transforming growth factor-beta 1 on human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell adhesion, motility, and invasion in vitro.
    J Natl Cancer Inst. 1992 Apr 1;84(7):523-7 PMID: 1545442
  33. Potentiation of metastatic capacity by transforming growth factor-beta 1 gene transfection.
    Jpn J Cancer Res. 1993 Jun;84(6):589-93 PMID: 7687989
  34. TGF-beta 1 binding protein: a component of the large latent complex of TGF-beta 1 with multiple repeat sequences.
    Cell. 1990 Jun 15;61(6):1051-61 PMID: 2350783
  35. Localization of transforming growth factor-beta isotypes in lesions of the human breast.
    Hum Pathol. 1992 Jan;23(1):13-20 PMID: 1544664
  36. Association of transforming growth factor-beta 1 with prostate cancer: an immunohistochemical study.
    Hum Pathol. 1993 Jan;24(1):4-9 PMID: 7678092
  37. Expression of smooth muscle-specific proteins in myoepithelium and stromal myofibroblasts of normal and malignant human breast tissue.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Feb 1;90(3):999-1003 PMID: 8430113
  38. Latent transforming growth factor-beta from human platelets. A high molecular weight complex containing precursor sequences.
    J Biol Chem. 1988 Jun 5;263(16):7646-54 PMID: 3163692
  39. Encapsulation of tumours as a modified wound healing response.
    Lancet. 1988 Jul 16;2(8603):135-7 PMID: 2899190
  40. Identification of endogenous inhibitory growth factors from a human colon carcinoma cell line.
    Cancer Res. 1985 May;45(5):2248-54 PMID: 3857117
  41. Relationships between epithelial basement membrane staining patterns in primary colorectal carcinomas and the extent of tumour spread.
    Int J Cancer. 1991 Jul 30;48(6):855-60 PMID: 1713574
  42. TGF-beta: a possible autocrine immune regulator.
    Ciba Found Symp. 1991;157:98-108; discussion 108-14 PMID: 2070686
  43. Neoplastic progression of human colorectal cancer is associated with overexpression of the stromelysin-3 and BM-40/SPARC genes.
    Int J Cancer. 1995 Feb 20;64(1):70-5 PMID: 7665251
  44. Inflammatory and immunomodulatory roles of TGF-beta.
    Immunol Today. 1989 Aug;10(8):258-61 PMID: 2478145
  45. Alpha-smooth muscle actin is transiently expressed by myofibroblasts during experimental wound healing.
    Lab Invest. 1990 Jul;63(1):21-9 PMID: 2197503
  46. Peptide growth factors and inflammation, tissue repair, and cancer.
    J Clin Invest. 1986 Aug;78(2):329-32 PMID: 3525608
  47. Alpha-smooth muscle actin expression in tumor and stromal cells of benign and malignant human pigment cell tumors.
    J Invest Dermatol. 1992 Jan;98(1):116-20 PMID: 1728635
  48. An activated form of transforming growth factor beta is produced by cocultures of endothelial cells and pericytes.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Jun;86(12):4544-8 PMID: 2734305
  49. Secretion of a TGF-beta-like growth inhibitor by normal rat mammary epithelial cells in vitro.
    J Cell Physiol. 1990 Jan;142(1):15-20 PMID: 2298817
  50. The tumor-promoting effect of wounding: a possible role for TGF-beta-induced stromal alterations.
    Crit Rev Oncog. 1994;5(2-3):297-311 PMID: 7849089
  51. Role of the latent TGF-beta binding protein in the activation of latent TGF-beta by co-cultures of endothelial and smooth muscle cells.
    J Cell Biol. 1993 Feb;120(4):995-1002 PMID: 8432736
  52. Desmoplasia and its relevance to colorectal tumour invasion.
    Int J Cancer. 1993 Jan 2;53(1):62-9 PMID: 7677932
  53. Characterization of transforming growth factor-beta-resistant subclones isolated from a transforming growth factor-beta-sensitive human colon carcinoma cell line.
    Cancer Res. 1988 Dec 15;48(24 Pt 1):7120-5 PMID: 3191488
  54. Myofibroblasts in human pathology.
    Hum Pathol. 1981 Jun;12(6):491-2 PMID: 6268524
  55. Transforming growth factor-beta s are equipotent growth inhibitors of interleukin-1-induced thymocyte proliferation.
    Cell Immunol. 1988 Jun;114(1):41-54 PMID: 2897247
  56. Molecular cloning of fibroblast activation protein alpha, a member of the serine protease family selectively expressed in stromal fibroblasts of epithelial cancers.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Jun 7;91(12):5657-61 PMID: 7911242
  57. Differentiation repertoire of fibroblastic cells: expression of cytoskeletal proteins as marker of phenotypic modulations.
    Lab Invest. 1990 Aug;63(2):144-61 PMID: 2116562
  58. Tumor invasion: a consequence of destructive and compositional matrix alterations.
    Hum Pathol. 1988 Jun;19(6):628-39 PMID: 3288553
  59. Transforming growth factor type beta: rapid induction of fibrosis and angiogenesis in vivo and stimulation of collagen formation in vitro.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jun;83(12):4167-71 PMID: 2424019
  60. Identification and characterization of a novel membrane activation antigen with wide cellular distribution.
    Eur J Immunol. 1988 Jan;18(1):7-11 PMID: 2831065
  61. Growth factor production by human colon carcinoma cell lines.
    Cancer Res. 1989 Jun 1;49(11):2898-904 PMID: 2541895
  62. Presence of modified fibroblasts in granulation tissue and their possible role in wound contraction.
    Experientia. 1971 May 15;27(5):549-50 PMID: 5132594
  63. Inhibition by tranilast of collagen accumulation in hypersensitive granulomatous inflammation in vivo and of morphological changes and functions of fibroblasts in vitro.
    Life Sci. 1994;55(15):PL287-92 PMID: 7523821
  64. Localization of basic fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor beta 1 in the human mammary gland.
    Cancer Res. 1991 Sep 1;51(17):4685-92 PMID: 1873813
  65. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 induces alpha-smooth muscle actin expression in granulation tissue myofibroblasts and in quiescent and growing cultured fibroblasts.
    J Cell Biol. 1993 Jul;122(1):103-11 PMID: 8314838
  66. An orthotopic model for the study of growth factors in the ventral prostate of the rat: effects of epidermal growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor.
    J Androl. 1994 Jul-Aug;15(4):277-86 PMID: 7982795
  67. Induction of alpha-smooth muscle actin by transforming growth factor-beta 1 in quiescent human breast gland fibroblasts. Implications for myofibroblast generation in breast neoplasia.
    Lab Invest. 1993 Jun;68(6):696-707 PMID: 8515656
  68. High frequency of resistance of human squamous carcinoma cells to the anti-proliferative action of transforming growth factor beta.
    Cancer Commun. 1990;2(11):363-9 PMID: 2173622
  69. Collagen production by macrophages in tumour encapsulation and dormancy.
    Br J Cancer. 1991 May;63(5):758-62 PMID: 2039700
  70. Expression of transforming growth factor alpha in normal human adult kidney and enhanced expression of transforming growth factors alpha and beta 1 in renal cell carcinoma.
    Cancer Res. 1989 Dec 15;49(24 Pt 1):6972-5 PMID: 2582439
  71. Cytoskeletal and cytocontractile protein composition of smooth muscle cells in developing and obstructed rabbit bladder.
    Exp Cell Res. 1993 Aug;207(2):310-20 PMID: 8344383
  72. Role of orthotopic fibroblasts in the development of scirrhous gastric carcinoma.
    Jpn J Cancer Res. 1994 Sep;85(9):883-6 PMID: 7961114
  73. Tumors: wounds that do not heal. Similarities between tumor stroma generation and wound healing.
    N Engl J Med. 1986 Dec 25;315(26):1650-9 PMID: 3537791
  74. Fibroblast cell interactions with human melanoma cells affect tumor cell growth as a function of tumor progression.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Jul 15;88(14):6028-32 PMID: 2068080
  75. Cell-matrix interactions during tumor invasion.
    Cancer Metastasis Rev. 1990 Sep;9(2):113-23 PMID: 2253311
  76. Differential sensitivity of human colonic adenoma and carcinoma cells to transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta): conversion of an adenoma cell line to a tumorigenic phenotype is accompanied by a reduced response to the inhibitory effects of TGF-beta.
    Oncogene. 1991 Aug;6(8):1471-6 PMID: 1886718
  77. Smooth muscle myosin regulation by serum and cell density in cultured rat lung connective tissue cells.
    Am J Physiol. 1993 Aug;265(2 Pt 1):L127-32 PMID: 8368325
  78. Cancer metastasis: tumor cell and host organ properties important in metastasis to specific secondary sites.
    Biochim Biophys Acta. 1988 Nov 15;948(2):175-224 PMID: 3052592
  79. Negative regulation of transforming growth factor-beta by the proteoglycan decorin.
    Nature. 1990 Jul 19;346(6281):281-4 PMID: 2374594
  80. Possible involvement of TGF beta 1 in the distinct tumorigenic properties of two rat colon carcinoma clones.
    Invasion Metastasis. 1992;12(3-4):185-96 PMID: 1338201
  81. Transplantation of colon carcinoma into granulation tissue induces an invasive morphotype.
    Int J Cancer. 1993 Jul 30;54(6):1010-6 PMID: 8335394
  82. The origin of the myofibroblasts in breast cancer. Recapitulation of tumor environment in culture unravels diversity and implicates converted fibroblasts and recruited smooth muscle cells.
    J Clin Invest. 1995 Feb;95(2):859-73 PMID: 7532191
  83. Cell surface glycoprotein of reactive stromal fibroblasts as a potential antibody target in human epithelial cancers.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Sep;87(18):7235-9 PMID: 2402505
  84. [Role of TGF beta 1 in the stromal reaction to human colonic tumors].
    Bull Cancer. 1993 Mar;80(3):225-34 PMID: 8173175
  85. Transforming growth factor-beta stimulates the expression of fibronectin and collagen and their incorporation into the extracellular matrix.
    J Biol Chem. 1986 Mar 25;261(9):4337-45 PMID: 3456347
  86. Peptide growth factors and wound healing.
    Br J Surg. 1991 Nov;78(11):1286-90 PMID: 1760683
  87. The invasive phenotypes.
    Cancer Metastasis Rev. 1990 Jul;9(1):45-62 PMID: 2208568
  88. Apoptosis mediates the decrease in cellularity during the transition between granulation tissue and scar.
    Am J Pathol. 1995 Jan;146(1):56-66 PMID: 7856739
  89. Fibrogenic cytokines and connective tissue production.
    FASEB J. 1994 Aug;8(11):854-61 PMID: 7520879
  90. Stromelysin-3 in stromal tissue as a control factor in breast cancer behavior.
    Cancer. 1994 Aug 1;74(3 Suppl):1045-9 PMID: 7518738
  91. Extracellular matrix contraction by fibroblasts: peptide promoters and second messengers.
    Cancer Metastasis Rev. 1992 Mar;11(1):45-54 PMID: 1511496
  92. Acceleration of human prostate cancer growth in vivo by factors produced by prostate and bone fibroblasts.
    Cancer Res. 1991 Jul 15;51(14):3753-61 PMID: 1712249
  93. The invasive edge: invasion in colorectal cancer.
    Clin Exp Metastasis. 1986 Apr-Jun;4(2):129-39 PMID: 3720057
  94. A role of the latent TGF-beta 1-binding protein in the assembly and secretion of TGF-beta 1.
    EMBO J. 1991 May;10(5):1091-101 PMID: 2022183
  95. Pleiotropic effects of transforming growth factor-beta on cells of the immune system.
    Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1993 Jun 23;685:488-500 PMID: 8363258
  96. Selective inactivity of TGF-beta/decorin complexes.
    FEBS Lett. 1994 Oct 24;353(3):243-5 PMID: 7957866
  97. Characterization of an immunosuppressive factor derived from colon cancer cells.
    J Immunol. 1987 Apr 1;138(7):2161-8 PMID: 3104453
  98. Inhibition of lymphokine-activated killer cell generation by cultured tumor cell lines in vitro.
    Cancer Immunol Immunother. 1989;28(1):43-53 PMID: 2462468
  99. Modulation of tumor cell response to chemotherapy by the organ environment.
    Cancer Metastasis Rev. 1994 Jun;13(2):209-22 PMID: 7923551
  100. Immunohistologic analysis of the extracellular matrix components of the fibrous stroma of human colon cancer.
    J Surg Oncol. 1993 May;53(1):36-42 PMID: 8479195
  101. Transforming growth factor beta 1 as a biomarker for prostate cancer.
    J Cell Biochem Suppl. 1992;16H:54-61 PMID: 1289674
  102. Antibody targeting in metastatic colon cancer: a phase I study of monoclonal antibody F19 against a cell-surface protein of reactive tumor stromal fibroblasts.
    J Clin Oncol. 1994 Jun;12 (6):1193-203 PMID: 8201382
  103. An alpha 2-macroglobulin receptor-dependent mechanism for the plasma clearance of transforming growth factor-beta 1 in mice.
    J Clin Invest. 1991 Jan;87(1):39-44 PMID: 1702100
  104. Immunologic aspects of fibrosis in mouse mammary carcinomas.
    Int J Cancer. 1992 Jan 2;50(1):69-74 PMID: 1728615
  105. Expression of 7F7-antigen, a human adhesion molecule identical to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in human carcinomas and their stromal fibroblasts.
    Int J Cancer. 1989 May 15;43(5):768-73 PMID: 2654024
  106. The role of transforming growth factor beta 1 in the fibroblastic reaction associated with rat colorectal tumor development.
    Cancer Res. 1994 Dec 15;54(24):6526-32 PMID: 7987852
Article Info
Journal
Cancer metastasis reviews
Abbr.
Cancer Metastasis Rev
ISSN
0167-7659
Published
1995-12-00
Pages
339-50
Language
English
Region
Netherlands
NLM ID
8605731
Subset
IM
Analysis Services
Analysis Services

Contact

No. 2 Wenbo Road, Zhangqiu District, Jinan, Shandong

Qilu Normal University · Genelibs Bioinformatics Lab

750 Shunhua Rd, Jinan

2F, Bldg F, University Science Park

Tel: 0531-88819269

WeChat Official Account

Follow our WeChat subscription account for real-time updates and the latest in medical and biological research.


Business Email

E-mail: [email protected]