間質細胞 stroma stromal cell cells

間質

ストローマ，基質ともいう．臓器に固有の細胞群に対し，その間に入り込む結合組織などで，血管，神経，膠原繊維，線維芽細胞など．

出典　朝倉書店

生体内のある機能をもつ組織や器官などの実質を、支えたり結合させたりする組織。血管や神経などを含む。

Wikipedia

stromal cells

There are multiple ways of classifying tissues: one classification scheme is based on tissue functions and another analyzes their cellular components. Stromal tissue falls into the "functional" class that contributes to the body's support and movement. The cells which make up stroma tissues serve as a matrix in which the other cells are embedded. Stroma is made of various types of stromal cells. Stroma (from Greek στρῶμα, meaning 'layer, bed, bed covering') is the part of a tissue or organ with a structural or connective role. It is made up of all the parts without specific functions of the organ - for example, connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves, ducts, etc. The other part, the parenchyma, consists of the cells that perform the function of the tissue or organ.

Stromal cells are connective tissue cells of any organ, for example in the uterine mucosa (endometrium), prostate, bone marrow, lymph node and the ovary. They are cells that support the function of the parenchymal cells of that organ. Fibroblasts and pericytes are among the most common types of stromal cells.

The interaction between stromal cells and tumor cells is known to play a major role in cancer growth and progression. In addition, by regulating local cytokine networks (e.g. M-CSF, LIF), bone marrow stromal cells have been described to be involved in human haematopoiesis and inflammatory processes.

Stromal cells (in the dermis layer) adjacent to the epidermis (the very top layer of the skin) release growth factors that promote cell division. This keeps the epidermis regenerating from the bottom while the top layer of cells on the epidermis are constantly being "sloughed" off the body. Certain types of skin cancers (basal cell carcinomas) cannot spread throughout the body because the cancer cells require nearby stromal cells to continue their division. The loss of these stromal growth factors when the cancer moves throughout the body prevents the cancer from invading other organs.

Stroma is made up of the non-malignant cells, but can provide an extracellular matrix on which tumor cells can grow.