Horizontal transmission and retention of malignancy, as well as functional human genes, after spontaneous fusion of human glioblastoma and hamster host cells in vivo.

ABSTRACT: Cell fusion in vitro has been used to study cancer, gene mapping and regulation, and the production of antibodies via hybridomas. However, in-vivo heterosynkaryon formation by cell-cell fusion has received less attention. This investigation describes the spontaneous fusion of a human glioblastoma with normal hamster cells after xenogeneic transplantation, resulting in malignant cells that express both human and hamster genes and gene products, and retention of glioblastoma traits with an enhanced ability to metastasize. Three of 7 human genes found showed translation of their proteins during serial propagation in vivo or in vitro for years; namely, CD74, CXCR4 and PLAGL2, each implicated with malignancy or glioblastoma. This supports the thesis that genetic hybridization of cancer and norm

SUBMITTER: Goldenberg DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3307948 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature