Cancerous tumours are not composed solely of malignant cells, but are complex structures consisting of malignant cells and a diverse range of non-malignant cell types embedded within an extracellular matrix. Collectively, these components constitute the tumour microenvironment, which includes immune cells, blood vessels, fibroblasts, nerves, adipocytes, and a wide variety of signalling molecules.

Accumulating findings indicate that cancer cells actively exploit and remodel their surrounding microenvironment to promote tumour growth, survival, and metastatic dissemination. Understanding the tumour microenvironment could provide insights into tumour development, reveal the biological mechanisms underlying tumour aggressiveness, elucidate the factors influencing treatment response, and inform therapeutic strategies aimed at disrupting interactions between cancer cells and their surroundings.

More information

Trond Mohn Research Foundation – Call for Research Proposals: Cancer microenvironment biology | UiB

Proposals must be sent to UiB by October 30th.

Photo by Eivind Senneset/UiB