What's new about the tumor microenvironment of urothelial carcinoma?
João Queirós CoelhoMaria João RamosRidhi RanchorRita PichelLaura GuerraHugo MirandaJoana SimõesSérgio Xavier AzevedoJoana FebraAntónio AraújoPublished in: Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico (2024)
Urothelial carcinoma is a significant global health concern that accounts for a substantial part of cancer diagnoses and deaths worldwide. The tumor microenvironment is a complex ecosystem composed of stromal cells, soluble factors, and altered extracellular matrix, that mutually interact in a highly immunomodulated environment, with a prominent role in tumor development, progression, and treatment resistance. This article reviews the current state of knowledge of the different cell populations that compose the tumor microenvironment of urothelial carcinoma, its main functions, and distinct interactions with other cellular and non-cellular components, molecular alterations and aberrant signaling pathways already identified. It also focuses on the clinical implications of these findings, and its potential to translate into improved quality of life and overall survival. Determining new targets or defining prognostic signatures for urothelial carcinoma is an ongoing challenge that could be accelerated through a deeper understanding of the tumor microenvironment.
Keyphrases
- extracellular matrix
- global health
- public health
- signaling pathway
- papillary thyroid
- healthcare
- single cell
- climate change
- cell therapy
- genome wide
- epithelial mesenchymal transition
- squamous cell carcinoma
- stem cells
- risk assessment
- gene expression
- cell proliferation
- combination therapy
- induced apoptosis
- oxidative stress
- replacement therapy
- mesenchymal stem cells
- meta analyses