LS-MET-1, A HIGHLY METASTATIC HUMAN CARCINOMA CELL LINE

METASTASIS FROM TUMORS OF EPITHELIAL ORIGIN SUCH AS THE LUNG, COLON, BREAST, AND PROSTATE CONSTITUTE THE CAUSE OF THE MAJORITY OF CANCER RELATED DEATHS. THERE EXIST FEW EXPERIMENTAL SYSTEMS SUITABLE FOR THE TESTING OF ANTI-METASTATIC AGENTS ON HUMAN EPITHELIAL TUMORS. WHILE MANY CELL LINES FORM TUMORS IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED MICE, FEW OF THESE TUMORS PROGRESS TO FORM METASTASIS. WE HAVE RECENTLY SELECTED A HUMAN COLON CARCINOMA CELL LINE, LS-MET-1 WHICH READILY FORMS DISTANT SITE METASTASIS FOLLOWING ESTABLISHMENT OF A PRIMARY TUMOR IN THE LIVER. WE WILL DEVELOP EXPERIMENTAL PROTOCOLS THAT ALLOW THE USE OF THE LS-MET-1 CELL LINE AS AN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL OF METASTATIC CANCER FOR THE TESTING OF ANTI-METASTATIC AGENTS. IN ADDITION, THE AVAILABILITY OF HUMAN COLON CARCINOMA CELL LINES THAT DIFFER ONLY IN THEIR METASTATIC ABILITY WILL ENABLE US TO INVESTIGATE SPECIFIC BIOCHEMICAL FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE METASTATIC PROCESS AS POTENTIAL TARGETS FOR THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION.