Immune and stromal cell populations

Immune and stromal cell populations" describes heterogeneous groups of cells found within tissues, particularly within the tumor microenvironment. **Immune cells** include T cells, B cells, NK cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and others responsible for surveillance and defense. **Stromal cells** include fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells, endothelial cells, and pericytes, which provide structural support, regulate tissue repair, and modulate immunity through cytokine and chemokine production. The balance, function, and interaction of these populations influence disease outcomes, especially in cancer where their spatial arrangement, density, and phenotypes affect tumor growth, response to immunotherapies, prognosis, and recurrence risk[1][2][5][7][8][9][10]. High stromal infiltration is often associated with poor prognosis in tumors (e.g., colorectal cancer CMS4/mesenchymal subtype), while immune cell infiltration, particularly cytotoxic lymphocytes, correlates with better prognosis in some contexts[2][8]. These populations are commonly quantified in research using transcriptomic signatures, immunohistochemistry, and computational tools (e.g., MCP-counter, ESTIMATE)[2][10]. This entry is not a valid molecular target and serves as a category rather than an individual molecule, receptor, or gene suitable for structured therapeutic target annotation.

Other names

Stromal cells and immune cellsstromal populationsimmune populationsTME cell populationstumor microenvironment cells