
Tissue fibrosis may occur for unknown causes or be the consequence of many pathological conditions including chronic inflammatory or infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, graft rejection, or malignancy. On the other hand, malignant tumors have been identified in fibrotic tissues decades ago, and now accumulating evidence suggests that fibrotic lesions enhance the risk of cancer in several organs such as liver, lungs, and breast. Disruption of an organ parenchymal cells and of its normal structural scaffold during tissue fibrogenesis appears to induce loss of cell polarity, promoting uncontrolled cell proliferation that may eventually lead to cancer development. Many cellular and molecular abnormalities including aberrant expression of microRNAs, genetic and epigenetic alterations, evasion or delayed apoptosis, unregulated intracellular signal pathways, and dysregulation or defective intercellular communications have been proposed to explain this link between fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis. However, the precise mechanisms of this fibrosis-to-cancer transition remain unclear. This book presents a collection of reviews and original articles summarizing recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer development in fibrotic organs.
Subjects
bleomycin regeneration antitumor efficacy lung cancer SOX2 leiomyosarcoma lung cancer (LC) nanoparticles cytokines hepatocellular carcinoma metabolic reprogramming hepatic stellate cells angiogenesis transforming growth factor-? anaplastic lymphoma kinase idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis growth factor pathogenesis cancer-associated fibroblasts fibrosis lipopolysaccharide DHA lncRNA SREBP-1 YAP protein S non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) omega-3 fatty acid inflammation metastasis clinical symptoms miRNA smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential Wnt interstitial fluid pressure heterogeneity hepatocytes myometrium tumor necrosis factor ? tumor tumor microenvironment extracellular matrix TAZ carcinogenesis cystic formation pulmonary fibrosis HBV cytokine genetic instability diagnosis EMT crizotinib Hippo pathway GPR120 marker HCV non-alcoholic steatohepatitis pathology common pathways apoptosis type I collagen GPR40 acute lung injury uterine fibroid renal injury pathophysiology reactive oxygen species immunohistochemistry SMAD butylidenephthalide leiomyoma cirrhosis Erk1/2 targeted therapy TGF-? mechanotransduction therapy breast cancer hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) cancer signal pathway tumor stiffness