Table 1 CAF subpopulations and markers were identified in different desmoplastic tumors

Breast cancer

Patient samples

myCAF

FAP, ACTA2 and PDPN

ECM-producing

[38]

iCAF

CXCL12

Immune evasion

Breast cancer and ovarian cancer

Patient samples

CAF-S1

FAP, αSMA

Immunosuppressive

Tumor invasion

Lymph-nodes metastasis

[35, 41, 42]

CAF-S2

Not reported

Not reported

CAF-S3

PDGFRβ, FSP1 and CD29

Not reported

CAF-S4

αSMA, CD29

Lymph-nodes metastasis

Tumor invasion

Breast cancer

Patient samples

CD146^posCAFs

CD146^pos

Sustains estrogen-dependent proliferation

[43]

CD146^negCAFs

CD146^neg

Enhance tamoxifen resistance

Breast cancer and lung cancer

Patient samples

CD10⁺GPR77⁺CAF

CD10 and GPR77

Promote tumor formation

Sustain CSCs

[45]

Lung cancer

Patient samples

5 clusters

αSMA (cluster 2)

Angiogenesis

[46]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Patient samples; KPC mice tumors

myCAF

αSMA, transgelin, TPM1, TPM2, MMP11, POSTN and homeobox transcription factor

ECM-producing

[37, 47, 48]

iCAF

IL-6, IL-8, IL-11, Lif, CXCL12, PDGFRα, HAS1 and HAS2

Immunosuppressive/tumor promoting

Antigen-presenting CAF

MHC II, CD74 and serum amyloid A3

Antigen-present

Immunomodulatory

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Patient samples

CAF-A

POSTN

Tumor proliferation

Tumor invasion

[40]

CAF-B

Myosin-11

Lymph-node metastasis

CAF-C

PDPN

Promote immune

CAF-D

Not reported

Not reported

Colorectal cancer

Patient samples

CAF-A

COL1A2, MMP2 and DCN

ECM-producing

[49]

CAF-B

PDGFA, TAGLN and ACTA2

Not reported

Cholangiocarcinoma

Patient samples; KRAS/p19 and YaP/AKT mouse tumors

myCAF

COL1A1, HAS2/HA

ECM-producing

[39]

iCAF

HGF

Tumor promoting

PF/mesCAF

PF/mesothelial

Not reported