TY - JOUR
T1 - Cell fusion as a hidden force in tumor progression
AU - Lu, Xin
AU - Kang, Yibin
PY - 2009/11/15
Y1 - 2009/11/15
N2 - Cell fusion plays an essential role in fertilization, formation of placenta, bone and muscle tissues, immune response, tissue repair, and regeneration. Increasing recognition of cell fusion in somatic cell dynamics has revitalized the century-old hypothesis that cell fusion may contribute to the initiation and progression of cancer. In this review, we discuss findings from experimental and clinical studies that suggest a potentially multifaceted involvement of cell fusion in different stages of tumor progression, including aneuploidy and tumor initiation, origin of cancer stem cells, multidrug resistance, and the acquisition and diversification of metastatic abilities.
AB - Cell fusion plays an essential role in fertilization, formation of placenta, bone and muscle tissues, immune response, tissue repair, and regeneration. Increasing recognition of cell fusion in somatic cell dynamics has revitalized the century-old hypothesis that cell fusion may contribute to the initiation and progression of cancer. In this review, we discuss findings from experimental and clinical studies that suggest a potentially multifaceted involvement of cell fusion in different stages of tumor progression, including aneuploidy and tumor initiation, origin of cancer stem cells, multidrug resistance, and the acquisition and diversification of metastatic abilities.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=72249120354&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=72249120354&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-2159
DO - 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-2159
M3 - Review article
C2 - 19887616
AN - SCOPUS:72249120354
SN - 0008-5472
VL - 69
SP - 8536
EP - 8539
JO - Cancer Research
JF - Cancer Research
IS - 22
ER -