Identifying the sources of synovial sarcoma

Synovial sarcoma is a malignant soft tissue tumor marked by a unique t (X;18) translocation leading to expression of a chimeric SYT-SSX fusion protein. We have recently developed a mouse model of synovial sarcoma by expressing SYT-SSX fusion protein within myoblasts thereby identifying skeletal muscle lineage as a potential source of this disease. However, other potential sources of this disease remain an unknown possibility. The aim of this study is to use the mouse model to investigate the existence of other sources of synovial sarcoma and whether there is any correlation between clinical behavior of the tumor and its origin.