Abstract
In order to determine the role of cell adhesion molecules in the process of cancer invasion and metastasis, we administered the cell-binding domain to a mouse liver metastasis model, and assessed the prevention of cancer metastasis resulting from inhibition of adhesive interaction with cancer cells. A liver metastasis model was created by injecting 1×103 colon 26/TC11 cells into the anterior mesenteric vein of CDFI mice. The cell-binding domain was obtained by extracting and purifying fibronectin from human plasma, and partially purifying only the domain which includes RGD. A fibronectin-treated group, a fibronectin binding domain-treated group, and a control group were established, The animals were sacrificed four eeks later, and the metastatic liver nodules were courlted. The results showed that metastasis was more advanced in the fibronectin group than in the control group, and about 50% inhibition was observed in the fibronectln binding domain-treated group (10μ of fibronection per ml). These findings suggest that, as a metastasis-inhibiting substance, the binding domain may become an effective means of anti-adhesion therapy by competing with native adhesiorl molecules on the cancer cell surface uring the metastatic rocess, and blocking adhesion.
