Hepatic carcinoma-associated fibroblasts promote an adaptative response in colorectal cancer cells that inhibit proliferation and apoptosis: nonresistant cells die by nonapoptotic cell death.

Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are important contributors of microenvironment in determining the tumor's fate. This study aimed to compare the influence of liver microenvironment and primary tumor microenvironment on the behavior of colorectal carcinoma. Conditioned medium (CM) from normal colonic fibroblasts (NCFs), CAFs from primary tumor (CAF-PT) or liver metastasis (CAF-LM) were obtained.