Tumor Microenvironment

This book will allow readers to discover the crucial role of tumor microenvironment (TME) in the selection of cancer cells that are more prone to carry on cancer initiation and progression. The metabolic remodeling, as the basis of life overall, allows the adaptive establishment of a tumor in a certain TME, which in turn presents a variety of selective pressures. Coupled with the late diagnosis, the poor therapy response are the main hurdles limiting oncological disease control and eventual cure. Thus the metabolic plasticity of cancer cells often underlies chemoresistance.

This edited work presents an exhaustive description and comprehensive view of cancer metabolism as a weapon used by cancer cells to adapt to TME. TME and the organ microenvironment is analyzed as a whole, considering cancer cells, stromal cells and microbiota. This complex circuit is observed as the support for disease development and therapy evasion but also as a valuable kernel, presenting new players to be targeted in a more precise cancer therapy.

The various threads of cancer biology related to TME and metabolic adaptation will be addressed including: 1) key players in the metabolic network; 2) the way adaptive metabolic features are sustained by TME; 3) TME and metabolic signaling, accounting for cancer cells survival; 4) metabolic fitness driven limitations in therapy response, and 5) the way TME and cancer metabolism can be helpful in the design of new drugs. In addition, the usefulness, technical strengths and weaknesses of analytical techniques useful in cancer metabolomics will be presented in an integrative way. Moreover, the use of innovative and traditional in vitro and in vivo cancer models, as powerful tools to address the influence of TME in cancer progression and metabolic reprogramming will be also presented.

This work was written by experts and dedicated to researchers with interests in cancer biology, TME, cancer metabolism and therapy. It will interest the Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology readership, including basic researchers, analytic researchers, bio-engineers and clinicians.