Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026

Cell-cell Fusion of Genome Edited Cell Lines for Perturbation of Cellular Structure and Function
Published on: December 7, 2019
How Do Cancer Cells Fuse and Why?
Kayode Komolafe1,2, Oluwatoyin V Odubanjo1,3, Ariane M Chitoh1,2
1Department of Biology, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, USA.
None:
Cell fusion is increasingly recognized as a critical event in cancer biology. The process has now been associated with diverse outcomes related to cancer pathophysiology, including tumor heterogeneity, metastasis, immune evasion, therapy resistance, and progression. Evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies confirms that both homotypic (cancer-cancer) and heterotypic (cancer-non-cancer) fusion events result in hybrid populations with enhanced fitness. Comparable to what occurs in normal physiological conditions, fusion involves membrane priming, adhesion, merging, and post-fusion resetting. The process of fusion is driven by fusogens such as syncytin-1 and annexins, and it is influenced by external cues, including inflammation, hypoxia, viral infection, and therapeutic stress. Functionally, cell fusion boosts genomic instability and tumor plasticity, increases metastatic potential, allows for stem-like reprogramming, and aids in immune evasion. Clinically, hybrid cells could serve as reliable biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment stratification. Nevertheless, the dual function of fusion in tumor growth and normal physiology necessitates context-specific approaches. Unraveling the fusion machinery or leveraging fusion-induced immunogenicity might yield novel therapeutic opportunities. This chapter discusses the molecular, functional, and clinical aspects of cancer cell fusion, as well as its importance in cancer progression and therapy resistance.
Related Concept Videos
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancer
What is Cancer?
Although people have known about cancer for centuries, it was only in 1761 that Giovanni Morgagni of Padua performed a detailed autopsy of patients who died from...

