Abstract

For decades, authors have described unusual cell structures, referred to as cell-in-cell structures, in which whole cells are found in the cytoplasm of other cells. One well-characterized process that results in the transient appearance of such structures is the engulfment of apoptotic cells by phagocytosis. However, many other types of cell-in-cell structure have been described that involve viable non-apoptotic cells. Some of these structures seem to form by the invasion of one cell into another, rather than by engulfment. The mechanisms of cell-in-cell formation and the possible physiological roles of these processes will be discussed.

Author affiliations

1. Cell Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA.
   Email: Michael_Overholtzer@hms.harvard.edu
2. Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
   Email: Joan_Brugge@hms.harvard.edu

Published online 11 September 2008

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