Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a deadly disease and is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030. A major hallmark is the exuberant host response comprising the tumor microenvironment, of which, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are a prevalent component. Despite the gains in understanding of their heterogeneity and functionality from CAF studies in recent years, there are many unanswered questions surrounding this diverse population of cells. Here, we summarize the views of several experts in the field, focusing on the current understanding of CAFs and challenges to address.

中文翻译：

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胰腺癌相关成纤维细胞：我们该何去何从？


胰腺导管腺癌是一种致命疾病，预计到 2030 年将成为癌症相关死亡的第二大原因。一个主要标志是包含肿瘤微环境的旺盛宿主反应，其中癌症相关成纤维细胞 （CAF） 是普遍的组成部分。尽管近年来 CAF 研究对它们的异质性和功能有了更深入的了解，但围绕这种多样化的细胞群仍有许多未解之谜。在这里，我们总结了该领域几位专家的观点，重点关注当前对 CAF 的理解和需要解决的挑战。