title: Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts, its implication in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a mini review.
abstract: The communication between tumor stromal and parenchymal cells provides an insight to tumor progression. One of the main elements of the stroma, a major contributor to the extracellular environment of tumors, is carcinoma-associated fibroblasts. They can originate from either normal fibroblasts in the immediate vicinity of the tumor or from circulating bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. These myofibroblasts can arise locally from an endothelial-mesenchymal transformation at the invasive edge of the cancer and are physically associated with carcinoma cells, that is, in the development of high-grade malignancies and poor prognosis. These carcinoma-associated fibroblasts feed the epithelial tumor cells in a host-parasite relationship establishing its role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, GITAM Dental College & Hospital, Vishakapatanam, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Routray
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sunkavali
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bari
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005347:Fibroblasts; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
keywords: CAFs; HNSCC; therapy; tumor environment