Mesenchymal stem cells: "repair cells" that serve wounds and cancer?
Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) colonize wounds apparently to facilitate tissue regeneration. Remarkably, they are able to differentiate into cells that are specifically needed to repair the injured tissue. However, MSCs are also attracted to cancers, likely because MSCs mistake cancers for wounds, and may there influence the proliferative and metastatic activities of the cancer cells. Recently, it was demonstrated that MSCs increase the motility of breast cancer cells by activating ADAM10, a protease which regulates epithelial cell-cell adhesion and which is often overexpressed in cancer. By targeting ADAM10 MSCs may promote progression of breast cancer. Cancers may mislead MSCs and use them for their own 'needs.'
Dittmer
Jürgen
J
Klinik für Gynäkologie, Universität Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany. juergen.dittmer@medizin.uni-halle.de
D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000473:pathology*