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Fig. 2 | Molecular Cancer

Fig. 2

From: Intra-tumor heterogeneity from a cancer stem cell perspective

Fig. 2

Next to intrinsic factors, the tumor microenvironment plays a crucial role in influencing cell state. The tumor microenvironment, in addition to hosting the tumor cells, possess a dynamic topography within the tumor involving diverse supportive ECM scaffolds, growth factors, a vascular bed and immune cell interactions [6]. The right combination of microenvironment components, for example inflammation, hypoxia, vascularized niche or rigid matrix, potentially contribute to stemness and enhanced tumorigenicity [52, 62, 68, 87, 91]. Multiple (distinct) niches may co-exist within a tumor, leading to cellular diversity

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