Are von Hippel-Lindau disease-associated hemangioblastomas derived from embryologic multipotent cells?
The neoplastic cell of origin for CNS hemangioblastomas in VHL patients is the mesoderm-derived, embryologically arrested hemangioblast. The hematopoietic and endothelial differentiation potential of these cells can be reactivated under suitable conditions. These findings may also explain the unique tissue distribution of tumor involvement.
These findings indicate that MDSCs have a great deal of potential as a therapeutic strategy for dealing with xenograft rejection. Further investigations of the underlying mechanisms will facilitate the development of this therapeutic strategy.