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Updated: May 23, 2026
11:15
A Preclinical Mouse Model of Osteosarcoma to Define the Extracellular Vesicle-mediated Communication Between Tumor and Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Published on: May 6, 2018
Mesenchymal stem cell signaling in cancer progression
1Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, N-5020 Bergen, Norway. anja.torsvik@biomed.uib.no
Cancer Treatment Reviews
|April 13, 2012
Summary
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibit a dual role in cancer progression, influencing tumor growth and metastasis through secreted factors. Their impact depends on cancer cell signaling pathways, offering potential for therapeutic applications.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) secrete factors influencing cancer progression.
- MSC-derived signals can activate cancer cell signaling pathways, including phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt.
- The cellular context dictates whether MSCs promote or inhibit tumor growth and metastasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the secreted factors from MSCs and their impact on cancer progression.
- To elucidate the dual role of MSCs in tumorigenesis based on cancer cell-specific signaling.
- To highlight the importance of understanding MSC-tumor cross-talk for therapeutic development.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating MSCs and cancer progression.
- Analysis of signaling pathways affected by MSC-secreted factors.
- Examination of factors influencing MSC-tumor cell interactions.
Main Results:
- MSCs can either promote tumor growth, metastasis, or inhibit growth with increased cell death.
- Cancer cell receptor status, PTEN, and Wnt activation modulate MSC effects.
- MSC-secreted factors targeting the PI3K/Akt pathway are crucial in tumor regulation.
Conclusions:
- MSCs play a context-dependent, dual role in cancer progression.
- Understanding MSC-secreted factors and their signaling is critical for developing MSC-based cancer therapies.
- Further research into MSC-tumor cross-talk can optimize MSCs as therapeutic vehicles.
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