Hepatitis C virus–induced tumor‐initiating cancer stem–like cells activate stromal fibroblasts in a xenograft tumor model

Abstract

HCV-infected hepatocytes induce local fibroblast activation by secretion of transforming growth factor beta, and a preneoplastic or tumor state of the hepatocytes influences the network for the tumor-associated fibroblast environment. (Hepatology 2017;66:1766-1778).