ETD

Archivio digitale delle tesi discusse presso l'Università di Pisa

Tesi etd-10082021-132852


Tipo di tesi
Tesi di laurea magistrale LM6
Autore
GAGLIARDI, SAMUELE
URN
etd-10082021-132852
Titolo
Characterization of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and their role in the risk of metastasis in breast cancer
Dipartimento
RICERCA TRASLAZIONALE E DELLE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE IN MEDICINA E CHIRURGIA
Corso di studi
MEDICINA E CHIRURGIA
Relatori
relatore Dott. Scatena, Cristian
correlatore Prof. Naccarato, Antonio Giuseppe
Parole chiave
  • p16
  • metastasis
  • CAFs
  • breast cancer
  • α-SMA
  • collagen
  • tumor microenvironment
  • senescence
Data inizio appello
26/10/2021
Consultabilità
Non consultabile
Data di rilascio
26/10/2091
Riassunto
Despite advances in breast cancer treatment and detection, a biomarker that allows an accurate assessment of the diagnosis, prognosis, and disease monitoring is still lacking. Although many researchers have focused on cancer cells, emerging evidence supports the notion that tumor stromal cells play important roles in tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. The composition of the stromal tissue is very complex and includes the extracellular matrix (ECM) and a heterogeneous cell population of mesenchymal origin, including fibroblasts of various types, immune and endothelial cells. CAFs (cancer-associated fibroblasts) are the most frequent component of tumor stroma, especially in breast cancer. Numerous studies have provided evidence that CAFs are a heterogeneous but still poorly defined cell population. Interestingly, they may have an impact on tumor development and progression and therefore on the patient's outcome. Most CAFs are characterized by a myofibroblastic phenotype and for their positivity to smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Within the α-SMA-positive population, some CAFs show typical characteristics of senescent cells. Moreover, a complete understanding of the signals that trigger senescence is currently lacking, and although, p16 appears to be one of the principal factors in senescence, more information is needed.
File