Fig. 2: Cancer–BMSCs interaction improve capability of dissemination and homing of cancer cells and BMSCs to bone marrow and lungs.

Red fluorescent protein-labelled Lewis lung carcinoma (RFP-LLCs) cells were injected subcutaneously with or without green fluorescent protein-labelled BMSCs (GFP-BMSCs). The flow cytometry assay was used to measure the RFP-positive LLCs and GFP-positive BMSCs in circulation, lung and bone marrow in different days after inoculation. a The ratio of RFP-positive LLCs in peripheral blood, lungs and bone marrow in the mixture-injection group and in the LLC injection alone group. b Column bar chart was presented to show the ratio of circulating cancer cells, cancer cells in lungs and bone marrow. c The ratio of GFP-positive BMSCs in peripheral blood, lungs and bone marrow in the mixture-injection group and in the BMSCs injection alone group. d Column bar chart was presented to show the ratio of BMSCs in peripheral blood, lungs and bone marrow. Data were presented as the mean ± SD and analyzed with Student’s t-test. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001.