Unraveling the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in colorectal cancer

Figure 1 Origins of cancer-associated fibroblasts in colorectal cancer. Normal fibroblasts can be activated by various factors including inflammation, microorganisms, and chemokines, and transform into cancer-associated fibroblasts. In addition, epithelial cells, endothelial cells, hepatic stellate cells, adipocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, pericytes, monocytes, mesothelial cells, hematopoietic stem cells, bone marrow cells, and smooth muscle cells, are all potential precursors of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Created with BioRender.com (Supplementary material). CAFs: Cancer-associated fibroblasts; CRC: Colorectal cancer; TGF-β: Transforming growth factor-β; NFs: Normal fibroblasts; EMT: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; IGF-1: Insulin-like growth factor-1; MSCs: Mesenchymal stem cells.