The functional importance of the tumor stroma for cancer growth and progression is increasingly recognized, but has not resulted in notable therapeutic developments yet. Within the mesenchymal tumor microenvironment, cancer-associated fibroblasts take the center stage and fuel tumor progression in various ways including malignant cell potentiation, immune regulation and fibrosis. However, recent studies have demonstrated pronounced heterogeneity of the fibroblastic tumor stroma, which comprises a plethora of individual cell subsets with varying phenotypes and functions, some of which suppress malignant growth through immune engagement or crosstalk with the tumor vasculature. This article summarizes the various levels at which the fibroblastic tumor stroma may impact cancer progression and highlights potential target structures for future therapeutic intervention(s).

肿瘤基质对于癌症生长和进展的功能重要性已得到越来越多的认识，但尚未导致显着的治疗进展。在间充质肿瘤微环境中，与癌症相关的成纤维细胞占据了中心位置，并以多种方式促进肿瘤的进展，包括恶性细胞增强，免疫调节和纤维化。但是，最近的研究表明，成纤维细胞瘤基质具有明显的异质性，它包括大量具有不同表型和功能的单个细胞亚群，其中一些通过免疫结合或与肿瘤脉管系统的串扰来抑制恶性生长。