<p>Tumours are highly complex tissues comprised of both malignant tumour cells and non-malignant healthy cells. Cells and tissues surrounding solid tumours make out the stroma, which provide physical support to the growing tumour structures, in addition to provide nutrients and facilitate waste removal. In the last four decades, it has become increasingly evident that stromal cells play important ...

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) participate actively in tumor development and affect treatment responses, by among other mechanisms, promoting an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In contrast to normal fibroblasts, reactive CAFs secrete a myriad of immunomodulatory soluble factors at high levels, i.e. growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines, which directly influence tumor immunity and ...

Recent studies have demonstrated that radiotherapy is able to induce anti-tumor immune responses in addition to mediating direct cytotoxic effects. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are central constituents of the tumor stroma and participate actively in tumor immunoregulation. However, the capacity of CAFs to influence immune responses in the context of radiotherapy is still poorly understood. ...