Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of MET-variant digestive tract tumors

Figure 5 Hepatocyte growth factor and Hedgehog loops between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and Hedgehog (Hh) pathways form a feedback loop between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Cancer-associated fibroblasts secrete hepatocyte growth factor, activate c-Met receptors in cancer cells, trigger downstream signaling pathways, and thus enhance the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells. bFGF: Basic fibroblast growth factor; IL: Interleukin; TNF: Tumor necrosis factor; Hh: Hedgehog; MMP: Matrix metalloproteinase; ECM: Extracellular matrix; tcHGF: Truncated hepatocyte growth factor; CAFS: Cancer-associated fibroblasts; sCHGF: Soluble hepatocyte growth factor.