The gradient of basic fibroblast growth factor concentration in human pancreatic cancer cell invasion.

It has been reported that basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF) is overexpressed in human pancreatic cancer cells, and that the overexpressed b-FGF contributes to the disease progression (Yamanaka et al. Cancer Res. 53, 5292-5297, 1993). Pancreatic cancer aggressively invades surrounding tissues by penetrating basement barriers. Thus, effect of b-FGF on pancreatic cancer, cell invasion to Matrigel basement membrane, was studied. The high gradient of b-FGF increased the invasiveness of human pancreatic cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the invasiveness of the cells was suppressed by anti-FGF receptor antibody. These results suggest that b-FGF plays an important role in human pancreatic cancer cell invasion to basement membrane.