Trafficking of Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells in Bone
Abstract
Breast cancer cells frequently metastasize to the bone where they grow and destroy bone. Their growth is not random; i.e. tumors are usually found at the metaphyseal ends of long bones rather than in the cortical shaft. The objective of this study is to determine the traffic patterns of breast cancer cells in the marrow cavity and to identify factors that attract them to the metaphyses. Human breast cancer cells that express green fluorescent protein (GFP-MDA-MB 231) will be inoculated into athymic mice by intracardiac injection and femurs harvested at various times from 1 hour to 6 weeks later. Marrow cells will be collected from the proximal and distal metaphyseal ends and from the cortical shaft, and the cancer cells detected by flow cytometry. Histological analysis of femurs will also be carried out. IN the second part of the study, samples of metaphyseal marrow, cortical marrow, metaphyseal bone and cortical bone will be tested for chemotaxis of cancer cells using transwell chambers. We predict that cancer cells follow a definable pathway from entry to where they grow in the bone metaphyses. This information will provide targets to disrupt the localization and the growth of breast cancer cells in the bone.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA433936
Entities
People
- Andrea M. Mastro
Organizations
- Pennsylvania State University