Figure 1.

Schematic showing the role CAFs in tumor progression. The relationship between cancer cells and CAFs is mutual. Cancer cells recruit normal cells, turning them into CAFs to support the development of the tumor. On the other hand, CAFs secret several growth factors, enzymes and cytokines that promote the proliferation of the tumor, help with metastasis of tumor cells, and weaken the impact of the immune system on tumor cells. This intercommunication between cancer cells and CAFs fosters the ideal niche for tumor to develop. It is also worth mentioning that tumor cells are considerably smaller in size compared to CAFs, as illustrated in the two confocal images. Scale bar = 20 μm.