FN1 and cancer: TNC can modulate the mechanical features of TME, primarily by altering the stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM) (Miroshnikova et al., 2016), promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) (Nagaharu et al., 2011; Katoh et al., 2013; Yang et al., 2019; Wu et al., 2023), and interacting with key components of the mechanical microenvironment, such as fibronectin (FN) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) (Wu et al., 2023).