Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026

A Preclinical Mouse Model of Osteosarcoma to Define the Extracellular Vesicle-mediated Communication Between Tumor and Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Published on: May 6, 2018
Sarcomas as a mise en abyme of mesenchymal stem cells: exploiting interrelationships for cell mediated anticancer
Jorge S Burns1, Akmal Safwat, Giulia Grisendi
1Laboratory of Cell Biology and Advanced Cancer Therapies, Department of Oncology, Hematology and Respiratory Disease, University Hospital of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy. jorge.burns@unimore.it
Abstract:
Mise en abyme meaning "placed into abyss or infinite recurrence" is an apt paradigm for the relentless growth of sarcoma cells. Its alternative meaning, "self-reflexive embedding" fits the central role attributed to cancer stem cells (CSCs). Diversely sourced and defined, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may be the cells of sarcoma origin, evolve a CSC phenotype and/or contribute to tumor growth through inherent qualities for homing, neovascularization, paracrine cross-feeding, microvesicle secretion, cell fusion, entosis and immune modulation. Exploiting these qualities, MSC expressing modified forms of the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (Apo2L/TRAIL) are being developed to complement more conventional radiation and chemotherapy.
Related Concept Videos
Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration
Types of Stem Cells used in Stem Cell Therapy
The two main cell types that...
Satellite Stem Cells and Muscular Dystrophy
Metastasis
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...

