Bernstein L J, Tonn J C, Goldbrunner R H, Vince G H, Wagner S, Goldberg W J
Laboratory of Central Nervous System Regeneration and Neuro-Oncology, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, D.C. 20422, USA.
Anticancer Res. 1998 Jul-Aug;18(4A):2583-90.
Invasion and metastasis is aided by the secretion of guanidinobenzoatase, that cleaves the link peptide to fibronectin, and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), which initiates a molecular cascade to activate plasmin and collagenases. This process permits malignant cell migration through the extracellular matrix.
Original human astrocytomas were examined for guanidinobenzoatase and uPA. Suspensions of high-grade human astrocytomas were xenografted into pockets in host cerebral cortex for 1-7 days.
A class of guanidinobenzoatase positive cells was observed in the original human astrocytomas and in tumor masses formed in the implantation pocket and around blood vessels. Secondary foci containing guanidinobenzoatase positive cells formed around blood vessels and individual positive astrocytoma cells migrated on the glia limitans along parallel and intersecting nerve fiber fascicles and the corpus callosum. uPA and GFAP were colocalized with guanidinobenzoatase.
The high-grade astrocytomas reestablish themselves and maintain their characteristics as a tissue although grafted as individual cells.
