Crosstalk between Tumor-Infiltrating Immune Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Tumor Growth and Immunosuppression of Breast Cancer

Jarupa Soongsathitanon, Pranisa Jamjuntra, Nuttavut Sumransub, Supaporn Yangngam, Marjorie De La Fuente, Glauben Landskron, Peti Thuwajit, Marcela A. Hermoso, Chanitra Thuwajit

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Signals from the tumor microenvironment (TME) have a profound influence on the maintenance and progression of cancers. Chronic inflammation and the infiltration of immune cells in breast cancer (BC) have been strongly associated with early carcinogenic events and a switch to a more immunosuppressive response. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the most abundant stromal component and can modulate tumor progression according to their secretomes. The immune cells including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) (cytotoxic T cells (CTLs), regulatory T cells (Tregs), and helper T cell (Th)), monocyte-infiltrating cells (MICs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), mast cells (MCs), and natural killer cells (NKs) play an important part in the immunological balance, fluctuating TME between protumoral and antitumoral responses. In this review article, we have summarized the impact of these immunological players together with CAF secreted substances in driving BC progression. We explain the crosstalk of CAFs and tumor-infiltrating immune cells suppressing antitumor response in BC, proposing these cellular entities as predictive markers of poor prognosis. CAF-tumor-infiltrating immune cell interaction is suggested as an alternative therapeutic strategy to regulate the immunosuppressive microenvironment in BC.

Original languageEnglish
Article number8840066
JournalJournal of Immunology Research
Volume2021
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2021
Externally publishedYes

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