Immune and stromal cells via paracrine and cell-cell interactions

The phrase Immune and stromal cells via paracrine and cell-cell interactions refers to the complex communication network within a tissue microenvironment, most notably the tumor microenvironment (TME). This interaction involves the exchange of biochemical signals through paracrine factors, such as cytokines and growth factors, as well as direct physical contact between cell surface molecules (Nature Reviews Cancer, 2021). Stromal cells, including cancer-associated fibroblasts and endothelial cells, actively modulate the behavior of immune cells to create either a pro-inflammatory or an immunosuppressive niche (NIH, 2023). In the context of cancer, these interactions often promote tumor progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy by excluding cytotoxic T cells or inducing an exhausted phenotype. Because this term encompasses a broad set of biological processes and numerous distinct molecular pathways, it does not represent a single therapeutic target but rather a systemic context for drug action. Therapeutic strategies often aim to disrupt specific nodes within this network, such as the TGF-beta or CXCL12/CXCR4 axes, to restore anti-tumor immunity or inhibit fibrosis (PubMed, 2022).

Other names

Tumor microenvironment crosstalkImmune-stromal niche signalingParacrine signaling in the tissue nicheCell-cell communication in the microenvironment

Disruption of paracrine signaling loops or physical cell-cell adhesion/activation within the microenvironment to reprogram the tissue niche.