Rebuilding the microenvironment of primary tumors in humans: a focus on stroma

Conventional tumor models have critical shortcomings in that they lack the complexity of the human stroma. The heterogeneous stroma is a central compartment of the tumor microenvironment (TME) that must be addressed in cancer research and precision medicine. To fully model the human tumor stroma, the deconstruction and reconstruction of tumor tissues have been suggested as new approaches for in vitro tumor modeling. In this review, we summarize the heterogeneity of tumor-associated stromal cells and general deconstruction approaches used to isolate patient-specific stromal cells from tumor tissue; we also address the effect of the deconstruction procedure on the characteristics of primary cells. Finally, perspectives on the future of reconstructed tumor models are discussed, with an emphasis on the essential prerequisites for developing authentic humanized tumor models. Cancer research usually focuses on cancer cells, but the importance of the tumor microenvironment (TME-the environment around a tumor) is becoming more recognized. The TME, especially the tumor stroma, significantly influences cancer cell behavior. The tumor stroma consists of different cell types like fibroblasts, macrophages, and endothelial cells. The interactions between these cells aid tumor growth and development. However, current research models often don't accurately represent the TME's complexity and diversity. This study suggests a new method to recreate the TME in a lab, by breaking down patient tumors and rebuilding them using components from those tumors. This could offer a more precise model for cancer research and personalized treatment development. The study also emphasizes the need for standard methods to extract primary cells from tumor tissues, to maintain their original features.This summary was initially drafted using artificial intelligence, then revised and fact-checked by the author.