Fibroblasts and myofibroblasts near the tumor microenvironment (TME) are important players in tumor growth and metastasis because of their unique ability to coordinate events which increase cell proliferation especially in breast cancer. It has been experimentally shown that fibroblasts play an important role in promoting tumor growth via modulation of the growth factors called EGF and TGFbeta. A multi-scale model of this interaction between stroma and the transformed epithelial cells in vivo will be presented. We report results from a model of the signaling pathways and the TME, and how their interactions affect the development of breast cancer. The results emphasize anew the complexities of the interactions within the TME and their effect on tumor growth, and show that tumor progression is not solely determined by the presence of a clone of mutated immortal cells, but rather that it can be "community-controlled".
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