Re‐interpreting tumour behaviour and the tumour microenvironment as normal responses to tissue disorganisation

Abstract

AbstractMuch of tumour cell biology and the tumour microenvironment may be normal wound‐healing responses as a consequence of the disruption of tissue structure. This is why tumours resemble wounds, and many features of the tumour microenvironment, such as the epithelial–mesenchymal transition, cancer‐associated fibroblasts, and inflammatory infiltrates, may largely be normal responses to abnormal tissue structure, not an exploitation of wound‐healing biology. © 2023 The Author. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.