Fig. 4
From: Immune checkpoint of B7-H3 in cancer: from immunology to clinical immunotherapy
Main associations between B7-H3 and CAFs, tumor cells and other TME cells. Activated B7-H3 increases the proliferation, progression and migration of CAFs and inhibits the apoptosis of CAFs. Inhibiting B7-H3 in gastric cancer decreases the expression of IL-6, CXCL12, FGF1 and VEGF and suppresses the migration of CAFs. B7-H3 activation also promotes tumor cell growth and enhances tumor cell metastasis through AKT pathways. B7-H3 modulates cytokine secretion in many types of TME cells, including T cells, endothelial cells and CAFs, and B7-H3 helps to remodel the ECM by activating MMP2/MMP9. TME, tumor microenvironment; CAFs, cancer-associated fibroblasts; MSCs, mesenchymal stromal cells; ECM, extracellular matrix