Unraveling the roles of fibroblast activation protein‑positive cancer‑associated fibroblasts in cancer: From mechanisms to therapy (Review).

Abstract

Cancer‑associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are involved in tumor pathogenesis. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP)⁺ CAFs are the predominant CAF subtype across multiple cancer types, including breast, lung and pancreatic cancer. FAP⁺ CAFs are crucial contributors to tumor progression. However, incomplete understanding of the biology of FAP⁺ CAFs limits their potential for clinical application. The present review aimed to summarize the characteristic features, functions and underlying mechanisms of FAP⁺ CAFs in tumor growth, including their involvement in extracellular matrix organization, tumor expansion and immunomodulation within the TME, in which FAP plays an important role, and FAP⁺ CAF‑based strategies for tumor diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. The present study aimed to provide a conceptual framework for the multifaceted roles of FAP⁺ CAFs in cancer progression to guide development of optimized FAP⁺ CAF‑targeted diagnostics and therapies.