Notably, at the microenvironment level, both TGF-β and SDF-1 are major key mediators of the dialogue between cancer and stromal infiltrating cells,30,31 which are widespread involved in the regulation of cancer cell proliferation, differentiation, invasion, and inflammation.32 Therefore, it seems that linc-ROR would continue to play a role in tumor progression under complex tumor microenvironment. This evidence concerns the gene CXCL12 and cancer.