头颈鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）中的肿瘤微环境（TME）对疾病进展和治疗反应具有重大影响。 HNSCC TME 中的主要基质细胞类型之一是癌症相关成纤维细胞 (CAF)。 CAF 构成了多样化的细胞群，我们才刚刚开始表征和了解各种 CAF 亚群的功能。尽管一些研究报告存在抑制肿瘤的 CAF 亚型，但 CAF 已被证明与肿瘤细胞和 TME 的其他成分相互作用，主要为 HNSCC 进展形成有利的微环境。 CAF 用于促进肿瘤发生的众多途径可能代表潜在的治疗靶点。这篇综述总结了目前关于 CAF 在 HNSCC 中的起源、亚型和机制的知识。目的是帮助了解 CAF 如何积极影响 TME 并调节不同的免疫细胞类型以及癌细胞，从而建立有利于癌症生长的环境。尽管 CAF 目前是治疗其他类型癌症的有前景的治疗靶点，但 HNSCC 的治疗尚无显着进展。版权所有 © 2024 El Herch、Tornaas、Dongre 和 Costea。

Tumor microenvironment (TME) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has a major influence on disease progression and therapy response. One of the predominant stromal cell types in the TME of HNSCC is cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). CAF constitute a diverse cell population and we are only at the beginning of characterizing and understanding the functions of various CAF subsets. CAF have been shown to interact with tumor cells and other components of the TME to shape mainly a favourable microenvironment for HNSCC progression, although some studies report existence of tumor-restraining CAF subtypes. The numerous pathways used by CAF to promote tumorigenesis may represent potential therapeutic targets. This review summarizes current knowledge on the origins, subtypes and mechanisms employed by CAF in HNSCC. The aim is to contribute to the understanding on how CAF actively influence the TME and modulate different immune cell types, as well as cancer cells, to establish a conducive setting for cancer growth. Although CAF are currently a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of other types of cancer, there is no significant therapeutic advancement in HNSCC.Copyright © 2024 El Herch, Tornaas, Dongre and Costea.