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Adipose‐derived stem cells and cancer cells fuse to generate cancer stem cell‐like cells with increased tumorigenicity
Author(s) -
Chan Yuk Wah,
So Chun,
Yau Ka Long,
Chiu Kung Chun,
Wang Xiya,
Chan Franky Leung,
Tsang Suk Ying
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of cellular physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.529
H-Index - 174
eISSN - 1097-4652
pISSN - 0021-9541
DOI - 10.1002/jcp.29574
Subject(s) - cd44 , cancer stem cell , stem cell , cell fusion , cancer research , mesenchymal stem cell , cd24 , adipose tissue , cell culture , biology , fusion gene , microbiology and biotechnology , cell , chemistry , biochemistry , genetics , gene
Abstract Adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) are a type of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from adipose tissue and have the ability to differentiate into adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic lineages. Despite their great therapeutic potentials, previous studies showed that ADSCs could enhance the proliferation and metastatic potential of breast cancer cells (BCCs). In this study, we found that ADSCs fused with BCCs spontaneously, while breast cancer stem cell (CSC) markers CD44 + CD24 ‐/low EpCAM + were enriched in this fusion population. We further assessed the fusion hybrid by multicolor DNA FISH and mouse xenograft assays. Only single nucleus was observed in the fusion hybrid, confirming that it was a synkaryon. In vivo mouse xenograft assay indicated that the tumorigenic potential of the fusion hybrid was significantly higher than that of the parent tumorigenic triple‐negative BCC line MDA‐MB‐231. We had compared the fusion efficiency between two BCC lines, the CD44‐rich MDA‐MB‐231 and the CD44‐poor MCF‐7, with ADSCs. Interestingly, we found that the fusion efficiency was much higher between MDA‐MB‐231 and ADSCs, suggesting that a potential mechanism of cell fusion may lie in the dissimilarity between these two cell lines. The cell fusion efficiency was hampered by knocking down the CD44. Altogether, our findings suggest that CD44‐mediated cell fusion could be a potential mechanism for generating CSCs.