Fig. 1
From: The tumor ecosystem in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and advances in ecotherapy
Tumor ecosystem in HNSCC. The tumor is a complex ecosystem composed of various cell types and microorganisms (e.g., HPV and bacterium). Besides biological factors, ECM, energy, oxygen, and therapeutic interventions (e.g., radiation) serve as abiotic factors that also shape the tumor ecosystem. Abbreviations: CAF, cancer-associated fibroblast; DC, dendritic cell; ECM, extracellular matrix; HPV, human papillomavirus; HNSCC, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma;Â MDSC, myeloid-derived suppressor cell; NK, natural killer; TAM, tumor-associated macrophage