Melanoma is a dangerous skin cancer that can quickly become resistant to treatment, in part through interactions between cancer cells and their surroundings. For example, melanoma cells can secrete factors that activate fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment, and the resulting cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) facilitate cancer progression. However, the exact interactions between melanoma cells and CAFs remain unclear. To learn more, researchers recently cultured normal human fibroblasts with melanoma cells or melanoma-secreted proteins in vitro. They confirmed that the normal fibroblasts became CAFs with enhanced migration, invasion, and matrix protein degradation abilities, which are properties that facilitate cancer progression. The levels of immune molecules called cytokines and proteins related to blood vessel formation were also upregulated in the CAFs, and secretion of lactate, a common end product of cancer cell metabolism, was increased. Highly aggressive melanoma cell lines tended to induce these fibroblast changes more strongly than a less-aggressive line. Although the reciprocal effects of CAFs on melanoma need clarification, this study reveals the strong influence of aggressive melanoma on nearby normal cells and supports a mechanism by which melanoma cells ultimately shape their microenvironment to facilitate cancer progression.