Tissue stromal, epithelial, and endothelial cell

Tissue stromal, epithelial, and endothelial cells represent the fundamental cellular building blocks of organ architecture and the tissue microenvironment. Epithelial cells form the functional lining of organs and are involved in secretion, absorption, and barrier protection (NCI Dictionary, 2024). Endothelial cells line the blood vessels, controlling vascular permeability, blood flow, and the recruitment of immune cells (StatPearls, 2023). Stromal cells, such as fibroblasts and pericytes, provide the structural framework and produce the extracellular matrix necessary for tissue integrity and repair (Nature Reviews Cancer, 2020). In diseases like cancer, these cells are co-opted to form a supportive niche or tumor microenvironment that promotes tumor growth, metastasis, and resistance to therapy (PubMed, 2020). While this grouping is not a single molecular target, therapeutic strategies often focus on the signaling pathways that coordinate the interactions between these cell types, such as the VEGF pathway for endothelial cells or TGF-beta for stromal cells (Cell, 2017).

Other names

Tissue microenvironmentStroma-epithelium-endothelium axisCellular components of the nicheTumor microenvironment components

Inhibition of paracrine signaling pathways (e.g., VEGF, PDGF, FGF) and modulation of the extracellular matrix to disrupt the supportive tissue microenvironment.