Q1. Which statement best describes the dual role of tumor stroma in cancer progression?
A. Tumor stroma only restricts tumor growth by limiting nutrient availability
B. Tumor stroma enhances tumor growth by providing structural support and secreting growth factors
C. The tumor stroma can either promote or restrict tumor progression, depending on the context
D. Tumor stroma plays no significant role in cancer progression
Q2. Which high-throughput technology is used to analyze the heterogeneity of tumor stromal cells at the single-cell level?
A. ELISA
B. Western blot
C. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq)
D. Immunohistochemistry
Q3. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can enhance tumor growth by:
A. Suppressing immune cell infiltration and creating a physical barrier against immune cells
B. Inducing apoptosis in cancer cells
C. Preventing angiogenesis within the tumor
D. Directly transforming into cancer cells
Q4. In the context of tumor-stroma interactions, heterotypic ligand-receptor signaling refers to:
A. Communication between two identical cancer cells
B. Signaling between different cell types, such as cancer cells and stromal cells, that modulates tumor progression
C. Immune cells attacking tumor cells
D. Signaling restricted to within the cancer cell population
Q5. Which of the following best explains how the tumor-associated extracellular matrix (ECM) contributes to tumor progression?
A. The ECM acts solely as a physical barrier to prevent immune cell infiltration
B. The ECM provides structural support and biochemical signals that promote cancer cell survival and proliferation
C. The ECM is composed entirely of immune cells that attack cancer cells
D. The ECM functions by inhibiting angiogenesis, thus starving the tumor of nutrients