title: The Amazing Power of Cancer Cells to Recapitulate Extraembryonic Functions: The Cuckoo's Tricks.
abstract: Inflammation is implicated in tumor development, invasion, and metastasis. Hence, it has been suggested that common cellular and molecular mechanisms are activated in wound repair and in cancer development. In addition, it has been previously proposed that the inflammatory response, which is associated with the wound healing process, could recapitulate ontogeny through the reexpression of the extraembryonic, that is, amniotic and vitelline, functions in the interstitial space of the injured tissue. If so, the use of inflammation by the cancer-initiating cell can also be supported in the ability to reacquire extraembryonic functional axes for tumor development, invasion, and metastasis. Thus, the diverse components of the tumor microenvironment could represent the overlapping reexpression of amniotic and vitelline functions. These functions would favor a gastrulation-like process, that is, the creation of a reactive stroma in which fibrogenesis and angiogenesis stand out.
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Unit, Monte Naranco Hospital, 33012 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose-Ignacio
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: Maria-Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Aller
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: Zoe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: de Julian
authors.forename: Heping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arias