Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027627 (metastases)
 103,950 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Many cancers display characteristic organ colonization patterns that do not fit simple, anatomical-mechanical trapping theories of tumor cell dissemination. Organ preferences of metastatic spread appear to be mediated partly by the selective attachment of tumor cells to organ-specific, microvascular endothelium. To study these tumor cell-endothelial cell interactions in an efficient and reproducible manner, we have designed a novel in vitro assay system wherein endothelial cells isolated from large vessels (e.g., aorta) can be modulated to assume phenotypic traits of organ-specific, microvascular endothelium. Modulation is achieved by growing bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) on organ-specific matrix components, termed tumor attachment modulators (TAMs). Using monolayers of modulated BAEC in a tumor attachment assay, we show here that tumor cells which metastasize to a given organ, have a significantly higher binding affinity for BAEC grown on TAMs of the preferred, metastasized organ, than they have for BAEC grown on TAMs of any other organ not colonized by these tumor cells. Lung-metastatic tumor cells (R3230AC-MET, B16-F10) adhere preferentially to BAEC monolayers grown on lung-specific TAMs, whereas liver-metastatic tumor cells (RAW117-H10, M5076) selectively adhere to BAEC grown on liver-specific TAMs. In contrast, nonmetastatic tumors cells (R3230AC-LR, RBTCC-1, 647V) show no such adhesion preferences. Preferential tumor cell adherence is increased by growing BAEC for prolonged periods on organ-specific TAMs. Metastatic preference and organ distribution are mediated, at least in part, by urea-extractable endothelial cell surface components that are regulated by the extracellular matrix.
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PMID:Organ preference of metastasis. The role of organ-specifically modulated endothelial cells. 335 32

The parent R3230 AC rat mammary carcinoma cell line and the two variant cell lines, R3230 AC MET and R3230 AC LR, differ with respect to their abilities to invade bony matrices and to form lung colonies (experimental metastases). Both the R3230 AC and the R3230 AC MET, a cell line selected in vivo for enhanced metastatic capability, express high potentials for invasiveness and lung colony formation, while the Con A- and WGA-resistant R3230 AC LR cell line grows expansively at the periosseus implantation site and is unable to form lung colonies after intravenous inoculation. The abilities to invade bone and to metastasize to the lung are well correlated with the fibrinolytic activity and the production of urokinase-type plasminogen activators. The contribution of plasminogen activators to invasiveness and metastasis has been ascribed to its role in the fibrinolytic and collagenolytic (i.e., activation of latent collagenase) cascades.
Invasion Metastasis 1987
PMID:Correlation of fibrinolytic activity with invasion and metastasis of R3230 AC rat mammary carcinoma cell lines. 359 83

One-hundred-eleven cases of histopathologically atypical or malignant lipomatous lesions in the somatic soft tissue and retroperitoneum were studied. These consisted of 48 differentiated fatty neoplasms of the somatic soft tissues (DFT-S), 21 fatty neoplasms of the retroperitoneum (DFT-R), 33 myxoid liposarcomas from various sites and nine pleomorphic liposarcomas. DFT-S were defined as lipomatous lesions composed of mature fat and containing atypical stromal cells or lipoblasts. In the somatic soft tissues, this group included lesions that would be classified using published criteria as "atypical lipoma", "pleomorphic lipoma", "well-differentiated lipoma-like liposarcoma", and "sclerosing liposarcoma". All of the DFT-R met previously published criteria for "well differentiated liposarcoma" or "sclerosing liposarcoma". We found no consistent histologic differences between the DFT-S and DRT-R. No pure "round cell" liposarcomas were encountered although many myxoid liposarcomas had "round cell" areas. Follow-up data were available in 80 cases (72%) with a mean follow-up period of over 7 years. Among the DFT-S there were no uncontrollable recurrences, distant metastases, or tumor-related deaths. The depth of the neoplasm correlated with the tendency for local recurrence; no neoplasms primary in the subcutis recurred; 29% of the tumors recurred when they originated in the deep soft tissues or within the muscle. None of the recurrent tumors demonstrated "dedifferentiation." DFT-R had a recurrence rate of 67% and, although there were no distant metastases, nine patients (43%) died of tumor. Five retroperitoneal tumors dedifferentiated but did not metastasize. In light of this experience, we believe that the term "atypical lipoma" is warranted for the DFT-S and "well differentiated liposarcoma" is an appropriate label for the DFT-R. The overall mean survival for the 52 cases of liposarcoma (excluding DFT-S) was 13.6 years. The mean survival in "well differentiated liposarcoma" (11.25 years) was between that for myxoid liposarcoma (16.25 years) and that for pleomorphic liposarcoma (7 years). Six patients (29%) with myxoid liposarcoma developed local recurrences and 6 patients (29%) developed distant metastases and died. Metastasis was always associated with a round cell (or pleomorphic) component with increased numbers of mitotic figures in either the primary tumor or a local recurrence.
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PMID:Atypical and malignant neoplasms showing lipomatous differentiation. A study of 111 cases. 382 77

Between 1954 and 1984 41 primary testicular tumours were treated in 40 children at the age of 0 to 9 years as well as 9 secondary testicular tumours in malignant systemic diseases or metastases. The histological reclassification of the number of cases revealed 15 yolk-sac-tumours, 10 differentiated teratomas of immature subtype, 1 intermediary malignant teratoma, 3 undifferentiated malignant teratomas, 2 Sertoli-cell-tumours (1 double-sided) and 5 rhabdomyosarcomas. 2 children each with undifferentiated malignant teratomas and rhabdomyosarcomas died, all before 1970. 5 children with yolk-sac-tumours and 2 with rhabdomyosarcomas who since 1974 have been treated with Ablatio testis and combination chemotherapy live without tumour. Histological classification and division into stages are proved and form the basis of a therapy conception which in all testicular tumours apart from the Ablatio testis contains the chemotherapy of different intensity (HTK-84), taking into consideration form of tumour, stage and age of the children. The retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy is recommended only in the proof of metastases.
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PMID:[Therapy of testicular tumors in childhood]. 403 83

In order to better understand colon cancer, a model system reflecting the heterogenous nature of this disease was developed and used in the development of new cytotoxic and non-cytotoxic therapeutic approaches. A large bank of colon carcinoma cell lines was established from primary human colon carcinomas and grouped based on their tumorigenicity in athymic mice, their growth rates in soft agarose and in tissue culture, and their secreted levels of carcinoembryonic antigen. These cell lines were later characterized based on cell surface proteins and antigens detected with antisera raised against a differentiated colon carcinoma cell line. Although these biochemical markers correlated with the biological classification of these cell lines, there was still extensive heterogeneity within each group in all properties examined. This colon carcinoma cell system was used to study natural vs. selected resistance to the anticancer drug mitomycin C (MMC). The differing IC50 values in vitro were reflected in the inhibition by MMC of xenograft growth in athymic mice. A new, more readily bioactivatable analogue of MMC was tried and shown to be more active in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that rapid efflux of the drug before activation may be important in examining causes of resistance to MMC. Another approach to the treatment of colon cancer is the use of non-cytotoxic agents such as growth factors and differentiation agents to restore normal growth to the malignant cells. We have isolated and characterized two types of polypeptides from colon carcinoma cells and conditioned medium from these cells. The first, transforming growth factors (TGF's) confer a transformed phenotype on non-transformed fibroblasts while the second, tumor inhibitory factors (TIF's), inhibits the anchorage independent growth of transformed cells. The fact that extracts of colon carcinoma cells contain both activities suggests that the heterogeneity of the cell lines could be due to different levels of TGF's and TIF's produced. The effectiveness of differentiation agents to restore normal growth control using a transformed mouse embryo cell line was examined. Treatment of these cells with differentiation agents restored normal growth control to these cells. An increased synthesis of TGF's resulted from these treatments. Therefore, differentiation agents may be useful in non-cytotoxic treatment. The use of this model system for human colon carcinoma will hopefully lead to more effective drugs for the treatment of colon cancer in man.
Cancer Metastasis Rev 1984
PMID:Heterogeneity of human colon carcinoma. 643 69

The study of cardiac output (CO) distribution to tumors and metastases is of interest for a better understanding of tumor biology and for pharmacological approaches. A radioactive microsphere method was developed to asses CO distribution in C57BL/6J mice bearing syngeneic 3LL or BALB/c mice with JWS. At the initial stages of cancer growth, the CO relative fractions per g of tissue (%CO/g) to 3LL and JWS were similar to those in surrounding tissues. In both tumors a positive, significant correlation was found between tumor weight and tumor CO fraction, but %CO/g was lower in 3LL 2 and 3 weeks after transplantation, whereas it did not change in JWS. Indeed, much larger necrotic areas developed in 3LL than in JWS. The %CO/g to the lungs increased in both models when metastases were not yet visible; subsequently, the appearance of lung nodules was accompanied by a decrease of %CO/g in JWS and a further increase in 3LL. This corresponded to the much higher ratio of metastatic to intact lung tissue in JWS than in 3LL. In fact, isolated lung metastases had a significantly lower blood supply than the surrounding tissue. This might be due to a different vascularization pattern and/or smaller amounts of vasodilator substances being produced by metastatic nodules; the latter is suggested by lower generation of prostacyclin activity in isolated lung metastases than in intact pulmonary tissue.
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PMID:Distribution of cardiac output during development of two metastasizing murine tumors. 668 42

This paper evaluates the prognostic significance of various clinical parameters applied to 133 patients with advanced malignant melanoma, who were treated in two successive studies by the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK). All patients received poly chemotherapy. In the second study half of the cases were also randomly allocated to an additional unspecific immunotherapy with MER. The results of the combined chemo-immunotherapy are inferior to those achieved with chemotherapy alone. Patients achieving a partial remission live significantly longer than patients with a progressive disease. Further factors of significant prognostic importance are: the performance status, the sites of metastases, the localization of the primary tumor, and the sex. Based on the data, we propose new parameters for the stratification of patients in future Phase II and Phase III trials.
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PMID:[Prognostic factors in metastasizing melanoma]. 702 84

Adjuvant therapy was given to patients with colorectal cancer stage Duke's B2 and C. The 53 patients were randomized and stratified after surgery. One arm received radiotherapy and chemotherapy and the other radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and MER. The survival and disease-free interval up to 2 years were longer and better in the radiochemo-MER arm. It is too early to conclude whether this combination increases the cure rate or delays the appearance of metastases. The time interval between the cytotoxic therapy and the immunotherapy and the dose of the immunotherapeutic agent is very important for the success of the combination therapy. Further follow-up is necessary and more patients need to be entered into the trial.
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PMID:Results of postoperative treatment of colorectal cancer by radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. 723 42

About one in three people in modern industrialised countries die of the consequences of malignant tumours or are found to carry an unsuspected one at the time of autopsy. Early resection of such lesions and appropriate adjuvant therapy is very effective in curing the disease. There is therefore a strong clinical incentive to find effective methods of early diagnosis, assessment of prognosis and treatment of neoplastic lesions and research on this topic is directed at a numerically significant medical problem. Recently it has been found that many human tumours show severe abnormalities in the expression of the CD44 gene which increase with progression to metastatic malignancy. By alternative splicing mechanisms this gene codes for a family of heavily glycosylated cell surface proteins involved in many important cellular activities. In neoplasia there is gross overexpression of various products of the gene associated with disorderly splicing, which can be detected in clinical samples with the sensitive technique of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). These disturbances begin early in the neoplastic process and can be detected in very small biopsy samples. It has also been shown that it is possible to achieve non-invasive diagnosis of malignancy by analysis of CD44 expression in exfoliated cells in body fluids and waste products. The potential significance of these observations for early diagnosis of symptomatic cancer and for screening of the population for asymptomatic lesions are readily seen and await further investigation. Separate work in our laboratory has succeeded in DNA-mediated transfer of metastatic capability through two rounds of transfection into non-metastatic tumour cells and a metastasis-associated human DNA fragment has been recovered from the transfectants and sequenced. Using primers designed to anneal to a coding region identified by computer analysis within the novel sequence, it has been shown with RT-PCR that it is heavily expressed in metastatic cancer tissues, but not in corresponding normal ones. This could be of value in assessing the prognosis of patients using small biopsy samples from their primary tumours and the potential of this sequence for such purposes and for possible therapeutic intervention is currently being explored. Recent work in several laboratories has shown that elevated expression of certain other specific growth factor genes, including c-met and EGFR, correlates with metastatic capability. Combined evaluation of such markers in further studies will in time give useful information on the prognosis of individual patients to guide therapeutic decisions and the implications of these recent advances for clinical practice and future research are discussed below.
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PMID:Deranged activity of the CD44 gene and other loci as biomarkers for progression to metastatic malignancy. 751 58

To investigate the relationship between angiogenesis and hepatic tumorigenesis, we examined the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in 8 human colon carcinoma cell lines and in 30 human colorectal cancer liver metastases. Abundant message for VEGF was found in all tumors, localized to the malignant cells within each neoplasm. Two receptors for VEGF, KDR and flt1, were also demonstrated in most of the tumors examined. KDR and flt1 mRNA were limited to tumor endothelial cells and were more strongly expressed in the hepatic metastases than in the sinusoidal endothelium of the surrounding liver parenchyma. VEGF monoclonal antibody administration in tumor-bearing athymic mice led to a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of growth of subcutaneous xenografts and to a marked reduction in the number and size of experimental liver metastases. In hepatic metastases of VEGF antibody-treated mice, neither blood vessels nor expression of the mouse KDR homologue flk-1 could be demonstrated. These data indicate that VEGF is a commonly expressed angiogenic factor in human colorectal cancer metastases, that VEGF receptors are up-regulated as a concomitant of hepatic tumorigenesis, and that modulation of VEGF gene expression or activity may represent a potentially effective antineoplastic therapy in colorectal cancer.
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PMID:Regulation by vascular endothelial growth factor of human colon cancer tumorigenesis in a mouse model of experimental liver metastasis. 753 99


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