Abstract
Both normal and neoplastic cells are surrounded by fluid, dynamic plasma membranes which are involved in a variety of important physiological processes. Although several modifications in composition, organization, dynamics, enzymology and immunology have been found in transformed and tumor cell membranes when compared to their untransformed and normal cell counterparts, few of these changes may be important in the actual survival, growth and spread of tumor cells in vivo. One of the most important characteristics of malignant cells in vivo-the ability to metastasize to distant host sites-provides an important approach for studying in vivo tumor cell properties. We have been using several types of selection procedures to obtain variants of animal tumor cell lines that show enhanced metastatic potential and abilities to spread to specific host sites by blood-borne routes. Using these selected variants we hope to learn more about the cell surface properties that determine the location and fate of metastatic tumor cells in vivo.
