Sanford Burnham Prebys Jul 24 2025 Cancer cells and tumors do not exist in a vacuum. Far from the isolation and self-sufficiency of the fictional Wakanda, tumors develop in and alter the nearby milieu of immune cells, connective tissue, blood vessels and a sea of proteins and carbohydrates that provide structure and other supportive functions. Cancer cells interact with this neighborhood - which scientists term the tumor microenvironment - in many ways, including obtaining extra resources