by Taylor McNeil September 10, 2026 Biomedical Science , Cancer , School of Arts and Sciences , Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Share When cancer strikes, it doesn’t appear in isolation—the surrounding materials in our bodies have been tricked into supporting the tumor’s out-of-control growth. An important part of that mix is the microenvironment around the tumors, made up largely of the extracellular matrix, with its variety of molecules and proteins like collagen and elastin. How that ext