Review
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 21, 2014; 20(47): 17804-17818
Published online Dec 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i47.17804
Figure 2
Figure 2 The interplay between cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor cells. Tumor cells activate CAFs by secreting various cytokines and epithelial-mesenchymal transition; CAFs exert their tumor-promoting function through direct (paracrine soluble factors and cell-to-cell contact) and indirect (modulating other stromal components) approaches (Elements adapted from Mueller et al[110]). CAF: Cancer-associated fibroblast; LPA: Lysophostatidic acid; TGF-β: Transforming growth factor-β; NF: Normal fibroblast; α-SMA: α-smooth muscle actin; IL: Interleukin.