Promotion Of Metastatic Processes By Laminin And Laminin

研究的目的是明确肿瘤生长和转移的机制，并开发新的人类癌症动物模型。我们发现，当基底膜提取物(Matrigel)与人类肿瘤细胞(在小鼠体内生长不好)预混合时，会促进它们的发生和生长。我们已经能够从小鼠体内生长的肿瘤中培养出新的高度分化的人类肿瘤细胞系，包括某些结肠和前列腺细胞系。层粘连蛋白是一种主要的基底膜成分，已被发现促进恶性表型。层粘连蛋白贴壁细胞比未贴壁细胞或亲本细胞恶性程度更高。目前已鉴定出多种具有生物活性的层粘连蛋白合成肽。其一，YIGSR(Tyr-ile-Gly-Ser-Arg)减少肿瘤生长、转移和血管生成，而IKVAV增加这些活性。另一种多肽LQVQLSIR可增加转移，但机制尚未确定。我们的目标是确定与肿瘤生长和转移有关的分子机制。我们的方法是(1)选择和分离高度恶性的细胞，(2)确定它们的细胞层粘连蛋白受体，(3)确定促进或减少恶性表型的层粘连蛋白的额外序列，(4)确定与恶性相关的基因，(5)确定骨中与前列腺癌和乳腺癌器官特异性转移有关的分子。我们使用了几个模型，包括B16F10黑色素瘤细胞、乳腺、前列腺和唾液腺肿瘤细胞。我们希望定义与转移相关的调节事件，并开发治疗和诊断试剂。

Studies are conducted to define the mechanisms involved in tumor growth and metastasis and to develop new animal models of human cancers. We have found that a basement membrane extract (Matrigel) when premixed with human tumor cells (which do not grow well in mice) promotes their incidence and growth. We have been able to culture new highly differentiated human tumor cell lines from the tumors grown in mice including certain colon and prostate cell lines. Laminin, a major basement membrane component, has been found to promote the malignant phenotype. Laminin adherent cells are more malignant than either the non-adherent cells or the parental cells. Various biologically active laminin-derived synthetic peptides have been identified. One, YIGSR (tyr-ile-gly-ser-arg) reduces tumor growth, metastases, and angiogenesis whereas IKVAV increases these activities. Another peptide LQVQLSIR increases metastases but a mechanism has not yet been defined. Our goal is to define the molecular mechanisms involved in tumor growth and metastases. Our approach is to (1) select for and isolate highly malignant cells, (2) define their cellular laminin receptors, (3) identify additional sequences on laminin which promote or reduce the malignant phenotype, (4) identify genes involved in malignancy and (5) define molecules in bone responsible for prostate and breast cancer organ-specific metastases. We work with several models including B16F10 melanoma cells, breast, prostate and salivary gland tumor cells. We hope to define regulatory events involved in metastases and develop therapeutic and diagnostic reagents.