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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1990 Mar;87(6):2314–2318. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.6.2314

Suppression of tumor-forming ability and related traits in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells by fusion with immortal mammary epithelial cells.

D A Zajchowski 1, V Band 1, D K Trask 1, D Kling 1, J L Connolly 1, R Sager 1
PMCID: PMC53677  PMID: 1690427

Abstract

Somatic cell hybrids between MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and normal immortalized human mammary epithelial cells have been obtained by polyethylene glycol-mediated cell fusion. The hybrid cells are suppressed in their ability to form tumors in nude mice, as well as in traits specific to the tumorigenic MCF-7 parent: growth factor independence, tumor necrosis factor sensitivity, and pS2 gene expression. In addition, they display other characteristics of the "normal" parent, including increased expression relative to the MCF-7 cells of the genes for the extracellular matrix component fibronectin, the intermediate filament keratin 5, and the angiogenesis inhibitor thrombospondin. The levels of keratins 8 and 18 also resemble those of the nontumorigenic parent. These results provide evidence for the existence of tumor suppressor gene products in immortal mammary epithelial cells. We propose a characteristic "suppressed" tumor cell phenotype, which encompasses altered cytoarchitecture, angiogenesis capabilities, and growth factor requirements.

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Selected References

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