Research advances in mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cells promoting tumor progression

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a kind of adult stem cells originated from mesoderm, which have become a hot spot in tumor biology research because of their characteristics such as excellent proliferative ability, low immunogenicity, homing to the targeted cancerous tissues, etc. Besides, they are easy to be isolated, cultured in vitro and genetically modified. Studies have shown MSCs can promote tumor growth, proliferation, metastasis and mediate chemoresistance, thus they can be considered as a target for anti-tumor therapy. In this paper, the relevant roles of MSCs in promoting tumorigenesis and progression are reviewed to provide references and evidences for the benefit of looking for potential therapeutic targets.