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Updated: Jul 7, 2026
07:18
Isolation and Characterization of Tumor-initiating Cells from Sarcoma Patient-derived Xenografts
Published on: June 13, 2019
A developmental model of sarcomagenesis defines a differentiation-based classification for liposarcomas
Igor Matushansky1, Eva Hernando, Nicholas D Socci
1Department of Pathology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, 1130 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 10032, USA.
The American Journal of Pathology
|March 4, 2008
Summary
Adult stem cells play a role in cancer. Researchers found that liposarcoma subtypes correlate with specific differentiation stages of mesenchymal stem cells, identifying potential transformation-associated genes.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Adult stem cells are increasingly recognized for their role in neoplastic disease development.
- Soft tissue sarcomas, like hematological malignancies, may be classifiable by their developmental and differentiation status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To categorize soft tissue sarcomas based on their developmental/differentiation status.
- To identify genes associated with differentiation arrest and transformation in liposarcomas.
Main Methods:
- In vitro differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells into adipose tissue.
- Gene expression analysis and clustering during adipogenesis.
- Comparative gene expression analysis of liposarcomas and differentiating adipocytic cells.
Main Results:
- Identified specific time points during adipogenesis that correlate with the four major liposarcoma subtypes.
- Discovered genes overexpressed in liposarcomas indicating differentiation arrest.
- Identified a distinct set of overexpressed genes in liposarcomas, potentially linked to transformation.
Conclusions:
- A quantitative measure of developmental maturity can be assigned to solid tumors.
- Tumor stem cell transformation can occur at distinct stages of maturation.
- Gene expression profiling offers insights into the developmental origins of liposarcomas.
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