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Concept
Giant cell
Summary
A giant cell (also known as a multinucleated giant cell, or multinucleate giant cell) is a mass formed by the union of several distinct cells (usually histiocytes), often forming a granuloma. Although there is typically a focus on the pathological aspects of multinucleate giant cells (MGCs), they also play many important physiological roles. Osteoclasts are a type of MGC that are critical for the maintenance, repair, and remodeling of bone and are present normally in a healthy human body. Osteoclasts are frequently classified and discussed separately from other MGCs which are more closely linked with disease.
Non-osteoclast MGCs can arise in response to an infection, such as tuberculosis, herpes, or HIV, or as part of a foreign body reaction. These MGCs are cells of monocyte or macrophage lineage fused together. Similar to their monocyte precursors, they can phagocytose foreign materials. However, their large size and extensive membrane ruffling make them better equipped to clear up larger particles. They utilize activated CR3s to ingest complement-opsonized targets. Non-osteoclast MGCs are also responsible for the clearance of cell debris which is necessary for tissue remodeling after injuries.
Types include foreign-body giant cells, Langhans giant cells, Touton giant cells, Giant-cell arteritis, and Reed–Sternberg cells.
Osteoclasts were discovered in 1873. However, it wasn't until the development of the organ culture in the 1970s that their origin and function could be deduced. Although there was a consensus early on about the physiological function of osteoclasts, theories on their origins were heavily debated. Many believed osteoclasts and osteoblasts came from the same progenitor cell. Because of this, osteoclasts were thought to be derived from cells in connective tissue. Studies that observed that bone resorption could be restored by bone marrow and spleen transplants helped prove osteoclasts' hematopoietic origin.
Other multinucleated giant cell formations can arise from numerous types of bacteria, diseases, and cell formations.
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