Open AccessBone Marrow Contributes to Epithelial Cancers in Mice and Humans as Developmental Mimicry
Author(s) -
Cogle Christopher R.,
Theise Neil D.,
Fu DongTao,
Ucar Deniz,
Lee Sean,
Guthrie Steven M.,
Lonergan Jean,
Rybka Witold,
Krause Diane S.,
Scott Edward W.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
stem cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.159
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1549-4918
pISSN - 1066-5099
DOI - 10.1634/stemcells.2007-0163
Subject(s) - biology , bone marrow , cancer , haematopoiesis , stem cell , phenotype , cancer research , pathology , colorectal cancer , immunology , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , medicine
Bone marrow cells have the capacity to contribute to distant organs. We show that marrow also contributes to epithelial neoplasias of the small bowel, colon, and lung, but not the skin. In particular, epithelial neoplasias found in patients after hematopoietic cell transplantations demonstrate that human marrow incorporates into neoplasias by adopting the phenotype of the surrounding neoplastic environment. To more rigorously evaluate marrow contribution to epithelial cancer, we employed mouse models of intestinal and lung neoplasias, which revealed specifically that the hematopoietic stem cell and its progeny incorporate within cancer. Furthermore, this marrow involvement in epithelial cancer does not appear to occur by induction of stable fusion. Whereas previous claims have been made that marrow can serve as a direct source of epithelial neoplasia, our results indicate a more cautionary note, that marrow contributes to cancer as a means of developmental mimicry. Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest is found at the end of this article.