Donor-derived human bone marrow cells contribute to solid organ cancers developing after bone marrow transplantation.
Bone marrow-derived stem cells have been shown to participate in solid organ repair after tissue injury. Animal models suggest that epithelial malignancies may arise as aberrant stem cell differentiation during tissue repair. We hypothesized that if bone marrow stem cells participate in human neoplasia, then solid organ cancers developing after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) might include malignant cells of donor origin. We identified four male patients who developed solid organ cancers (lung adenocarcinoma, laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, glioblastoma, and Kaposi sarcoma) after myeloablation, total body irradiation, and ABMT from female donors. Donor-derived malignant cells comprised 2.5%-6% of the tumor cellularity The presence of donor-derived malignant cells in solid organ cancers suggests that human bone marrow-derived stem cells have a role in solid organ cancer's carcinogenesis. However, the nature of this role is yet to be defined.
Avital
Itzhak
I
Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Building 10-Hatfield CRC, Room 3-3940, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1201, USA. avitali@mail.nih.gov
Moreira
Andre L
AL
Klimstra
David S
DS
Leversha
Margaret
M
Papadopoulos
Esperanza B
EB
Brennan
Murray
M
Downey
Robert J
RJ
D000328:Adult; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000473:pathology; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors