TGF-β1-mediated transition of resident fibroblasts to cancer-associated fibroblasts promotes cancer metastasis in gastrointestinal stromal tumor

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the most abundant cells in the tumor microenvironment. Crosstalk between tumor cells and CAFs contributes to tumor survival in most epithelial cancers. Recently, utilizing gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) as a model for sarcomas, we identified paracrine networks by which CAFs promote tumor progression and metastasis. However, the mechanisms by which CAFs arise in sarcomas remain unclear. Here, RNA...