title: 'Cancer associated fibroblasts'--more than meets the eye.
abstract: Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a subpopulation of cells that reside within the tumor microenvironment and promotes the transformation process by encouraging tumor growth, angiogenesis, inflammation, and metastasis. CAF-specific proteins serve as both prognostic markers and targets for anticancer drugs. With the growing interest in CAFs, several controversial issues have been raised, including the genomic landscape of these cells, the identity of specific markers, and their cell of origin. Here, we tackle these debated issues and put forward a new definition for 'CAF' as a cell 'state' rather than a cell type. We hope this conceptualization can resolve the ongoing discrepancies revolving around CAF research and aid in designing better anti-cancer treatment strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel. Shlomi.madar@gmail.com
authors.forename: Shalom
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madar
authors.forename: Ido
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Varda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rotter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: CAFs; inflammation; microenvironment; mutation; stem cells; stroma