CXCL12 and neoplasm: By supporting tumor cells via paracrine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF1) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signals, CAFs further contribute not only to a more malignant tumor phenotype by driving epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) but also induce production of collagen and other ECM molecules (Zode et al., 2009; Porsch et al., 2013; Garcia et al., 2016).