The tumor
microenvironment is a complex network of tumor cells, immune cells, stromal
cells and extracellular matrix accomplishing proliferation, migration, and
dissemination of tumor cells.
The reactivity of the immune system towards the
growing tumor determines its capacity to reject the tumor, but this reactivity
is increasingly appearing to be critically dependent on tumor microenvironmental factors. These factors include secreted molecules, type of
infiltrating cells, and metabolic component such as hypoxia. Microenvironmental
hypoxia is a prominent feature of solid tumors and is involved in fostering the
neoplastic process and in modulation of immune reactivity. It results from
inadequacies between the tumor microcirculation and the oxygen demands of the
growing tumor mass, which leads to a lowering of oxygen partial pressure and a
metabolic switch towards glycolysis. Read more>>>>>>>>>>>

