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Updated: May 19, 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 cells in tumor development: emerging roles and concepts
Benjamin G Cuiffo1, Antoine E Karnoub
1Division of Cancer Biology and Angiogenesis, Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Cell Adhesion & Migration
|August 7, 2012
Summary
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are crucial in cancer. These cells, normally aiding tissue repair, instead promote tumor growth, spread, and suppress immune responses within the tumor microenvironment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Cancer Biology
Background:
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) maintain tissue homeostasis and aid repair.
- MSCs are increasingly recognized as key players in the tumor microenvironment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize current knowledge on MSC involvement in cancer pathogenesis.
- To review evidence positioning MSCs as central to pro-malignant tumor stroma.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on MSCs and cancer.
- Analysis of reciprocal interactions between MSCs and cancer cells.
Main Results:
- MSCs home to tumors and enhance cancer cell proliferation, motility, invasion, and metastasis.
- MSCs promote angiogenesis, desmoplasia, and suppress anti-tumor immunity.
- Interactions between MSCs and cancer cells drive tumor progression.
Conclusions:
- MSCs play multifaceted, pro-tumorigenic roles in the tumor microenvironment.
- Reciprocal interactions between MSCs and cancer cells foster a pro-malignant stroma.
- Understanding MSC roles is critical for cancer therapy development.
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