Mechanical stimuli have been found to influence tumor cell proliferation and metastasis with increased stiffening of the extracellular matrix being a hallmark of tumorigenesis. This thesis examines the role of the extracellular environment surrounding tumors, the tumor stroma, and investigates what effects the components within the stroma have on tumorigenesis. In addition, which components of the extracellular matrix contribute to that stiffening and how those components contribute to tumorigenesis will also be discussed. The cancer-associated fibroblast and the tumor-associated macrophage intimately influence the homeostasis between the tumor and extracellular matrix and can affect the survival and proliferation of tumor cells. This review will address how mechanical alterations in the reactive stroma contribute to tumorigenesis through their effects on cancer-associated fibroblasts. These cells sense and respond to mechanical changes in the extracellular environment as tumorigenesis occurs, and how they respond can affect tumor development.
","abstract_html":"<p>Mechanical stimuli have been found to influence tumor cell proliferation and metastasis with increased stiffening of the extracellular matrix being a hallmark of tumorigenesis. This thesis examines the role of the extracellular environment surrounding tumors, the tumor stroma, and investigates what effects the components within the stroma have on tumorigenesis. In addition, which components of the extracellular matrix contribute to that stiffening and how those components contribute to tumorigenesis will also be discussed. The cancer-associated fibroblast and the tumor-associated macrophage intimately influence the homeostasis between the tumor and extracellular matrix and can affect the survival and proliferation of tumor cells. This review will address how mechanical alterations in the reactive stroma contribute to tumorigenesis through their effects on cancer-associated fibroblasts. These cells sense and respond to mechanical changes in the extracellular environment as tumorigenesis occurs, and how they respond can affect tumor development.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Massengill, Nathan Wasson"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.S.","degree_level":"Campus Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biomedical Science","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Edie Goldsmith"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:23Z","subjects":["Biomedical","Chemicals and Drugs","Medicine and Health Sciences","Biomechanics","Cancer","Fibroblast","reciprocity","stroma"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2012, Nathan Wasson Massengill"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2108","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Edie Goldsmith"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Massengill, Nathan Wasson"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biomedical Science"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Biomedical","Chemicals and Drugs","Medicine and Health Sciences","Biomechanics","Cancer","Fibroblast","reciprocity","stroma"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2012, Nathan Wasson Massengill"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2108"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Mechanical stimuli have been found to influence tumor cell proliferation and metastasis with increased stiffening of the extracellular matrix being a hallmark of tumorigenesis. This thesis examines the role of the extracellular environment surrounding tumors, the tumor stroma, and investigates what effects the components within the stroma have on tumorigenesis. In addition, which components of the extracellular matrix contribute to that stiffening and how those components contribute to tumorigenesis will also be discussed. The cancer-associated fibroblast and the tumor-associated macrophage intimately influence the homeostasis between the tumor and extracellular matrix and can affect the survival and proliferation of tumor cells. This review will address how mechanical alterations in the reactive stroma contribute to tumorigenesis through their effects on cancer-associated fibroblasts. These cells sense and respond to mechanical changes in the extracellular environment as tumorigenesis occurs, and how they respond can affect tumor development.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Biomechanical Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts In Tumor-Stroma Reciprocity"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Edie Goldsmith"],"dc:creator":["Massengill, Nathan Wasson"],"dc:description.abstract":["Mechanical stimuli have been found to influence tumor cell proliferation and metastasis with increased stiffening of the extracellular matrix being a hallmark of tumorigenesis. This thesis examines the role of the extracellular environment surrounding tumors, the tumor stroma, and investigates what effects the components within the stroma have on tumorigenesis. In addition, which components of the extracellular matrix contribute to that stiffening and how those components contribute to tumorigenesis will also be discussed. The cancer-associated fibroblast and the tumor-associated macrophage intimately influence the homeostasis between the tumor and extracellular matrix and can affect the survival and proliferation of tumor cells. This review will address how mechanical alterations in the reactive stroma contribute to tumorigenesis through their effects on cancer-associated fibroblasts. These cells sense and respond to mechanical changes in the extracellular environment as tumorigenesis occurs, and how they respond can affect tumor development.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2108"],"dc:rights":["© 2012, Nathan Wasson Massengill"],"dc:subject":["Biomedical","Chemicals and Drugs","Medicine and Health Sciences","Biomechanics","Cancer","Fibroblast","reciprocity","stroma"],"dc:title":["The Biomechanical Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts In Tumor-Stroma Reciprocity"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biomedical Science"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.S."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:23Z"}