Cancer-associated fibroblasts in acute leukemia

Ling Gu; Ping Liao; Hanmin Liu

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.1022979

Cancer-associated fibroblasts in acute leukemia

Front Oncol. 2022 Dec 19:12:1022979. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1022979. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Ling Gu^{1

2

3}, Ping Liao^{4

5

6}, Hanmin Liu^{1

2

3

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
² The Joint Laboratory for Lung Development and Related Diseases of West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and School of Life Sciences of Fudan University, West China Institute of Women and Children's Health, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
³ NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
⁴ Calcium Signalling Laboratory, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, Singapore.
⁵ Academic & Clinical Development, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
⁶ Health and Social Sciences, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore, Singapore.
⁷ Sichuan Birth Defects Clinical Research Center, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Abstract

Although the prognosis for acute leukemia has greatly improved, treatment of relapsed/refractory acute leukemia (R/R AL) remains challenging. Recently, increasing evidence indicates that the bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) plays a crucial role in leukemogenesis and therapeutic resistance; therefore, BMM-targeted strategies should be a potent protocol for treating R/R AL. The targeting of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in solid tumors has received much attention and has achieved some progress, as CAFs might act as an organizer in the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, over the last 10 years, attention has been drawn to the role of CAFs in the BMM. In spite of certain successes in preclinical and clinical studies, the heterogeneity and plasticity of CAFs mean targeting them is a big challenge. Herein, we review the heterogeneity and roles of CAFs in the BMM and highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with acute leukemia therapies that involve the targeting of CAFs.

Keywords: bone marrow; cancer associated fibroblasts; leukemia; relapsed/refractory; tumor microenvironment.

Publication types

Review