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The tumour microenvironment (TME), consisting of stromal cell types including fibroblasts, endothelial, immune and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), is an important mediator of breast cancer (BCa) progression. BCa cells regulate the composition of the TME by secreting a myriad of factors; however, mechanisms governing the dynamic reciprocity between BCa and TME components are largely unknown. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major stromal component in many BCa and have been shown to be activated by BCa cells. MSCs recruited to the TME are an important source of CAFs in many cancers; therefore, characterizing the factors involved in MSC recruitment could provide additional avenues for therapeutic intervention by disrupting the TME in BCa. NODAL, an embryonic morphogen belonging to the TGF-beta superfamily, is clinically associated with BCa progression, and has been shown to …