ArticleScience advances2018
Cell fusion potentiates tumor heterogeneity and reveals circulating hybrid cells that correlate with stage and survival.
Article in Science advances, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 200 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
200 citing papers in PubMed, 326 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exploratory Analyses of Circulating Neoplastic-Immune Hybrid Cells as Prognostic Biomarkers in Advanced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Trial
- Phase 2 study of preoperative chemotherapy with nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine followed by chemoradiation for borderline resectable or node-positive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.Cancer medicine · 2023Trial
- Atypical fusion among non-malignant cells: Unveiling the link between post-fusion-induced genome chaos and cancer initiation.Cancer cell international · 2026Article
- Deep learning-based identification and quantification of rare circulating hybrid cells in orthotopic pancreatic cancer models.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Cyclic immunofluorescence platform using photocleavable linkers for direct antibody labeling enables cancer phenotyping.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Concurrent P-Selectin Targeting Nanoparticle Orchestrates Tumor-Immune Dynamics for Advanced Immunochemotherapy.ACS nano · 2026Article
- Key molecular mechanisms and regulatory networks in colorectal cancer liver metastasis.Biological procedures online · 2026Review
- A Circulating Signature of Tumour Hybrid Cells and Immune Checkpoints Predicts Metastatic Progression in Lung Cancer.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Mitochondrial DNA mutations and intercellular mitochondrial transfer in cancer: mechanisms, biological effects, and clinical potential.Biomarker research · 2026Review
- Neoplastic Immune Mimicry Potentiates Breast Tumor Progression.Cancer research · 2026Article
- The double-positive cells in the tumor microenvironment.Journal of translational internal medicine · 2026Article
- The influence of cell-cell fusion on cancer heterogeneity and its promise for targeted treatments.Cellular oncology (Dordrecht, Netherlands) · 2026Review
- Cell-Cell Fusion as a Mechanism of Immune Evasion and Metastatic Progression.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026Review
- How Do Cancer Cells Fuse and Why?Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026Review
- Mitochondrion-targeted therapies for diabetic wound healing: from mechanism to therapeutic opportunity.Burns & trauma · 2026Review
- The authors respond to feedback onFrontiers in oncology · 2026Article
- Implications of Heterotypic Cell Fusion in Cancer.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026Review
- Genomic Reshuffling After Cell Fusion: Catalyst for Cancer Evolution and Progression.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026Review
- A Brief Introduction into the Biological Phenomenon of Cell-Cell Fusion.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026Review
- CD45⁺ hybrid circulating cells may reflect tumor-immune interactions and serve as transcriptomic indicators of metastatic potential in prostate cancer.Theranostics · 2026Article
140 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
28 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
High lethality rates associated with metastatic cancer highlight an urgent medical need for improved understanding of biologic mechanisms driving metastatic spread and identification of biomarkers predicting late-stage progression. Numerous neoplastic cell intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms fuel tumor progression; however, mechanisms driving heterogeneity of neoplastic cells in solid tumors remain obscure. Increased mutational rates of neoplastic cells in stressed environments are implicated but cannot explain all aspects of tumor heterogeneity. We present evidence that fusion of neoplastic cells with leukocytes (for example, macrophages) contributes to tumor heterogeneity, resulting in cells exhibiting increased metastatic behavior. Fusion hybrids (cells harboring hematopoietic and epithelial properties) are readily detectible in cell culture and tumor-bearing mice. Further, hybrids enumerated in peripheral blood of human cancer patients correlate with disease stage and predict overall survival. This unique population of neoplastic cells provides a novel biomarker for tumor staging, as well as a potential therapeutic target for intervention.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.