The Role of the Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression and Metastasis
Oseghale, Ikalo David
*
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, Nigeria.
Ikokwu, Godwin Mmaduabuchi
Department of Immunology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Ugoagwu, Kingsley Ugonna
Department of Immunology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Elizabeth Anuoluwa Akintayo
Department of Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, United States.
Matthew Gyang
Department of Medical Diagnostics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.
Okiki Nosiru Quadri
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Il, USA.
Catherine Rono
Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Osedebamen Hilary Ralph-Okhiria
Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Benin, Nigeria.
Odunvbun Praise
Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Benin, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is the complex ecosystem surrounding a tumor. It is a complex and continuously evolving entity. The TME comprises a variety of complex components, such as cancer cells, immune cells, stromal cells, and extracellular matrix, that precisely regulate the interaction of tumor cells with other components, allowing tumor cells to continue to metastasize, escape immune surveillance, resist apoptosis, and proliferate. Researchers believe that the TME is not just a silent bystander but instead an active promoter of cancer progression. At the onset of tumor growth, a dynamic and reciprocal relationship is developed between cancer cells and components of the tumor microenvironment; this relationship supports cancer cell survival, local invasion, and metastatic dissemination. In this article, we discuss the role of the various components of the TME in the progression and metastasis of cancer, the pathways influenced by the TME, and the drugs that can treat tumors by targeting the components of the TME.
Keywords: Tumor microenvironment, angiogenesis, metastasis, cancer, cells, immune