Co-Injection of patient-derived fibroblasts enhances tumor growth, stromal invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Introduction Tumor growth, progression, and metastasis are supported by the tumor-associated stroma [1-7]. Tumor-associated stroma mainly consists of tumor-associated fibroblasts, extracellular matrix (ECM), basement membrane and vasculature that are recruited from host tissue. While stromal cells may initially display tumor suppressing characteristics [8], these cells undergo significant changes during tumor progression