Raghu Kalluri

Raghu Kalluri revealed the functional heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts by identifying distinct CAF subtypes including myofibroblastic CAFs, inflammatory CAFs, and antigen-presenting CAFs with opposing roles in tumor progression, fundamentally changing the therapeutic approach from blanket CAF depletion to selective subtype targeting. His demonstration that alpha-SMA-positive myofibroblastic CAFs actually restrain pancreatic cancer progression overturned the assumption that all CAFs promote tumors and explained why broad anti-fibroblast therapies failed clinically. His work on tumor-derived exosomes showed how cancer cells reprogram normal fibroblasts into tumor-promoting CAFs through exosomal transfer of oncogenic cargo.