In general, crossbreeding induces genomic shuffling based on mechanisms of sexual reproduction (Snoek et al. 2015), and the resulting derivative strains may therefore acquire phenotypes different from those of the parent strains.
Although several studies have shown that MSCs may acquire differentiated phenotype, they lack functional activity of specialized cells [ 40, 41].
The fact that most endothelial-like tumor cells were multinucleated suggested that GSC may acquire endothelial phenotype through cell fusion, rather than cell transdifferentiation.
It is possible that damaged cells may acquire a senescent phenotype similar to those that undergo prolonged mitotic arrest following treatment with KI5 (46).
In breast carcinoma approximately 80% of stromal fibroblasts may acquire the activated phenotype that promotes the proliferation of cancer cells at metastatic sites, stimulating tumor growth such as for the primary tumor (Kalluri and Zeisberg 2006).
The typical morphology of HUVECs when cultured on a mixed collagen I/tenascin-W substratum suggested that these cells may acquire a motile phenotype in the presence of tenascin-W (37).
Indeed, as a consequence of the increased stiffness in the tumour microenvironment, epithelial cells may acquire a mesenchymal phenotype by losing the cell-cell junctions and cell polarity [ 58].
This hypermethylation-induced silencing event may contribute to pathological lung fibrosis as myofibroblasts may acquire an anti-apoptotic phenotype.
In vitro studies of human γδ T cells suggest that these cells have LN-homing capabilities once activated [ 47], while others may acquire a tissue-homing phenotype [ 45].
This observation is intriguing because of some preclinical studies that suggested that cancer cells may acquire a more aggressive phenotype during anti-angiogenic treatment (Ebos et al, 2009; Paez-Ribes et al, 2009).
