title: Role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer.
abstract: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are important components of various types of tumors, including gastric cancer (GC). During tumorigenesis and progression, CAFs play critical roles in tumor invasion and metastasis via a series of functions including extracellular matrix deposition, angiogenesis, metabolism reprogramming and chemoresistance. However, the mechanism of the interaction between gastric cancer cells and CAFs remains largely unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding small RNA molecules, and their expression in CAFs not only regulates the expression of a number of target genes but also plays an essential role in the communication between tumor cells and CAFs. In this review, we provide an overview of recent studies on CAF miRNAs in GC and the relevant signaling pathways in gastrointestinal tumors. Focusing the attention on these signaling pathways may help us better understand their role in tumor invasion and metastasis and identify new molecular targets for therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Yu Yan, Li-Feng Wang, Rui-Fen Wang, Department of Pathology, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Yu Yan, Li-Feng Wang, Rui-Fen Wang, Department of Pathology, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China.
authors.forename: Li-Feng
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Yu Yan, Li-Feng Wang, Rui-Fen Wang, Department of Pathology, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China.
authors.forename: Rui-Fen
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication; D002465:Cell Movement; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010641:Phenotype; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Cancer-associated fibroblasts; Gastric cancer; Invasion; Metastasis; MicroRNA; Signaling pathway