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Tumor Microenvironment: a Therapeutic Aid in Cancer

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Abstract

The tumorigenesis and cancer cell progression are complicated processes starting from primary tumor formation by dysregulated vascularization to systemic metastasis. The tumor tends to thrive in a microenvironment that anchors its growth, progression, activation, and malignancies in the nearby tissues. The tumor microenvironment (TME) comprises different types of immune cells such as neutrophils, dendritic cells, macrophages, and fibroblasts, which have important functions in the activation of tumor suppression, and an extracellular matrix with cytokines, chemokines, and interleukins for cell signaling. This microenvironment niche has emerged as a significant way to target tumor cells and is implied in cancer immunotherapy techniques. The deeper insights into diverse cell types of cancer, carcinoma ligands, spatial arrangements, and leaky blood vessels have provided favorable circumstances for modulating therapeutic conciliation. This mini-review discusses the nature of the TME, its varied constituents, and its role in cancer therapeutics to target tumors. Overall, this review provides a brief account of the tumor microenvironment and its promising role in cancer treatment.

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Acknowledgements

ST and BS have collected the data and drafted the manuscript. SS prepared the figures. AP provided the final version of manuscript.

Funding

AP thanks Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, for MK Bhan Young researcher fellowship program (HRD-12/4/2020-AFS-DBT-Part (1) (13815).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062, India

    Sakshi Tiwari & Bilal Siddiqui

  2. Department of Biotechnology & Microbiology, School of Sciences, Noida International University, Uttar Pradesh, 203201, India

    Shilpy Singh & Afsana Praveen

  3. National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Afsana Praveen

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  1. Sakshi Tiwari
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  2. Bilal Siddiqui
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Contributions

ST and BS have collected the data and drafted the manuscript. SS prepared the figures. AP provided the final version of manuscript.

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Correspondence to Afsana Praveen.

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Tiwari, S., Siddiqui, B., Singh, S. et al. Tumor Microenvironment: a Therapeutic Aid in Cancer. Indian J Surg 86, 57–63 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-023-03828-7

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