Heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblast and its application in targeted therapy / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[Abstract] Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the most abundant and critical components in tumor microenvironment, which not only provide physical support for tumor cells, but also play a key role in promoting or delaying tumor occurrence and development. CAFs are a highly abundant and heterogeneous mesenchymal cell line, which contain a large number of cell subsets with different phenotypes and functions. Targeted therapies for CAFs also emerge as demanded. In order to improve the understanding of CAFs in malignant tumors, we elucidate the heterogeneity of CAFs origins, phenotypes and related functions, as well as the research progress of their application in targeted therapy.