[Antitumor effect of intratumoral administration of a Coriolus preparation, PSK: inhibition of tumor invasion in vitro].

The antitumor effects of biological response modifiers (BRM) in an experimental mouse model, the "double grafted tumor system," were analysed. Intratumoral administration of PSK (polysaccharide Kureha), a Coriolus preparation into primary tumor induced a cure of not only the primary solid tumor but also the metastatic, distant tumor. The effect of PSK on in vitro invasion by murine RL male-1 leukemia cells was studied using Biocoat Matrigel Invasion Chamber (Becton Dickinson Labware). We determined the ability of tumor cells to penetrate matrigel-coated filters in the presence or absence of PSK. PSK (100 micrograms/ml) reduced to half the number of invasive tumor cells for 3 hr incubation. PSK inhibited tumor cell invasion of matrigel-coated filters in a dose-dependent manner. Matrigel includes laminin, collagen, fibronectin and heparan sulfate proteoglycan. It is possible, therefore, that PSK may inhibit enzymes which digest the components of basement membranes, extra cellular matrices (ECM). This phenomenon suggests that PSK also inhibits metastatic activity of tumor cells in vivo.