Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: From Spectators to Protagonists in Pancreatic Cancer Progression

Our knowledge of the origins, heterogeneity, and functions of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has exponentially increased over the last two decades. This has been facilitated by the implementation of new models and single-cell technologies. However, a few key studies preceded the current exciting times in CAF research and were fundamental in initiating the investigation of CAFs and of their roles in PDAC. With their study published in Cancer Research in 2008, Hwang and colleagues have been first to successfully isolate and immortalize human pancreatic stellate cells (HPSC) from PDAC tissues. This new tool allowed them to probe the roles of CAFs in PDAC as never done before. By performing complementary in vitro and in vivo analyses, the authors demonstrated the involvement of HPSCs in PDAC malignant cell proliferation, invasion, and therapy resistance. Here, we leverage that seminal study as a framework to discuss the advances made over the last 16 years in understanding the complexity and central roles of CAFs in PDAC progression. See related article by Hwang and colleagues, Cancer Res 2008;68:918-26.