Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most prevalent type of non-melanoma skin cancer, characterized by the abnormal, accelerated growth of squamous cells in the epidermis and metastatic potential.

Understanding cancer progression and metastasis has shifted towards acknowledging the influence of the tumor microenvironment (TME) rather than solely relying on cancer cell-autonomous defects. The TME significantly influences tumorigenesis, development, and metastasis. It has been shown that among TME components, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a crucial role, exhibiting dual functions of promoting or restraining cancer progression. Several markers, including α smooth muscle actin (αSMA), platelet-derived growth factor receptor α(PDGFRα), and fibroblast activation protein (FAP), have been extensively used to isolate CAF populations. However, these markers have inherent limitations such as low specificity, raising concerns about their ability to identify all CAFs or merely a specific subset within the broader CAF population.

Our goal is to gain insight into cSCC-associated CAFs and investigate the dysregulation of molecular pathways. For this, we aim to identify their proteomic profile and eventual subtypes.