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'Innocent bystanders' can be the cause of tumor development Tumor growth has commonly been viewed as a result of mutations in a given cell that will therefore proliferate uncontrollably. However, a study conducted at the University of Helsinki, Finland, has demonstrated that in certain type of gastrointestinal polyps, the cause of tumor development are mutations in the smooth muscle cells, previously regarded as “innocent bystanders”. The results emphasize the importance of interactions between tissue types, and open up possibilities to develop new treatment strategies targeting the intercellular signaling.
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