Pericellular Hyaluronan and Prostate Cancer
Abstract
The working hypothesis of the present project is that hyaluronan (HA) is responsible for maintaining pericellular spaces between nests of prostate tumor cells that are vital for the diffusion of nutrients required for tumor growth. To test this hypothesis, the cDNA for human HA synthase 3 (HAS3) was cloned and transfected into TSU cells which then over-express HA. These transfected cells were found to differ from their vector transfected counterparts with respect to the following: 1) they grew at a faster rate in high (but not low) density cultures; 2) conditioned media from these cells stimulated the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells; 3) when placed on the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken embryos, these cells formed large, dispersed xenografts while the control transfectants formed compact masses; and 4) when injected subcutaneously into nude mice, the xenografts formed by HAS3 transfectants were bigger than those formed by control transfectants. Histological examination of these xenografts indicated that the HAS3 transfectants had increased intercellular space rich in HA, and a greater number of blood vessels. These results support our working hypothesis that expression of HA promotes tumor cell growth.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA387733
Entities
People
- Charles B. Underhill
Organizations
- Georgetown University