Endothelial capillaries chemotactically attract tumour cells

• Published in: The Journal of pathology Vol. 193; no. 3; pp. 367 - 376
• Main Authors: von Bülow, Cornelie, Hayen, Wiebke, Hartmann, Anke, Mueller-Klieser, Wolfgang, Allolio, Bruno, Nehls, Volker
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.03.2001; Wiley
• Subjects: angiogenesis; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Capillaries - pathology; Cell Communication - physiology; Cell Culture Techniques; chemotaxis; Chemotaxis - physiology; Culture Media, Conditioned; directional migration; endothelial; Endothelium, Vascular - pathology; Fibrin; Glioblastoma - blood supply; Glioblastoma - pathology; Host-tumor relations. Immunology. Biological markers; Humans; Medical sciences; Melanoma - blood supply; Melanoma - pathology; Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; Neoplasms - blood supply; Neoplasms - pathology; Neovascularization, Pathologic - pathology; Swine; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumors; tumour; Human; Cell culture; Endothelial cell; Migration; Malignant tumor; Carcinogenesis; Chemotaxis; In vitro; Endothelium; Pathology; Angiogenesis; Optical microscopy; Mixed cropping; Animal; Established cell line; Tumor progression; Blood capillary; Tumor cell; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0022-3417; 1096-9896
• DOI: 10.1002/1096-9896(2000)9999:9999<::AID-PATH810>3.0.CO;2-1

Directional migration of capillaries towards tumour implants is generally assumed to be regulated by chemotaxis. Preliminary evidence has also been presented for the existence of a reverse chemotactic signalling pathway, with capillaries attracting tumour cells via paracrine factors. By using a variety of endothelial cell types and tumour cell lines, this study has systematically investigated chemotaxis between endothelial cells and tumour cells in two‐ and three‐dimensional systems. Checkerboard analysis revealed faint attraction of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), but not porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAECs), by tumour cells. In reverse, both PAECs and HUVECs potently induced chemotactic migration of tumour cells. Using a microcarrier‐based fibrin gel assay, directional migration of endothelial cells towards tumour cells was not observed. In reverse, tumour cells were strongly attracted by endothelial cells. Identification of endothelium‐derived chemotactic molecules may provide a valuable approach for the treatment of tumour metastasis. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.