Abstract: BACKGROUND ＆ AIM: To explore whether lymphocytes could be induced into tumor cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lymphocytes were cultured and induced with different concentrations of the culture medium supernatant of tumor cells.Cell culture and animal experiments were employed to study growth characteristics,tumor_forming ability and subculturing features. RESULTS: The lymphocytes acquired from a mouse carrying B16 tumor for 4 months,were cultured into a strain of tumor, named EP tumor strain, which could subcultured and form tumors in vivo. The characteristics of tumor cells became less obvious with increasing passaging, and ultimately disappeared in the sixth to seventh generation. CONCLUSION: Lymphocytes could transform into tumor cells under specified conditions.

Key words: origin of cancer, tumor, lymphocyte