title: [Tumour-stroma interactions in urothelial cancer].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The histopathological structure of malignant tumours involves two essential compartments - the tumour parenchyma with the actual transformed cells, and the supportive tumour stroma. The latter consists of specialized mesenchymal cells, such as fibroblasts, macrophages, lymphocytes and vascular cells, as well as of their secreted products, including components of the extracellular matrix, matrix modifying enzymes and numerous regulatory growth factors and cytokines. In consequence, the tumour stroma has the ability to influence virtually all aspects of tumour development and progression, including therapeutic response.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this article we review the current knowledge of tumor stroma interactions in urothelial carcinoma and present various experimental systems that are currently in use to unravel the biological basis of these heterotypic cell interactions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For urothelial carcinoma, an extensive tumour stroma is quite typical and markers of activated fibroblasts correlate significantly with clinical parameters of advanced disease. Another clinically important variable is provided by the stromal expression of syndecan-1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Integration of markers of activated stroma into clinical risk evaluation could aid to better stratification of urothelial bladder carcinoma patients. Elucidation of biological mechanisms underlying tumour-stroma interactions could provide new therapeutical targets.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biologie, Karlsuniversität Prag, Medizinische Fakultät zu Pilsen, Alej Svobody 76, 32300, Plzeň, Tschechische Republik, Jiri.Hatina@lfp.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hatina
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kripnerová
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tuková
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Šrámek
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dvořák
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pešta
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dobrá
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Babuška
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Racek
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sobol
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Philimonenko
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hozák
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Czuba
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Strell
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grimm
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jennek
authors.forename: K-H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Friedrich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D019459:Urothelium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins