A new aggressive xenograft model of human colon cancer using cancer-associated fibroblasts.

Background: Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death. Almost half of the patients present recurrence within 5 years after the treatment of the primary tumor, the majority, with metastasis. On the other hand, in the search for new animal models that simulate metastatic cancer, it has been suggested that fibroblasts immersed in the peritumoral stroma (cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)), play a relevant role in the development of cancer.