Collagen fiber formation and proliferation as a mechanism of cancer prevention and regression induced by extract from Mycobacterium tuberculosis: correlation between clinical observation and animal experiments.
Administration of polysaccharides extracted from human Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli, Aoyama B strain (SSM) produced regression of breast cancer in 2 women. Biopsies of tumor nodules from these patients revealed intense proliferation of collagen fibers from the stromal cells. SSM apparently promoted the proliferation and maturation of collagen fibers from the stromal cells and matrix destroyed by tumor infiltration. Transplantation of human tumor cell lines into athymic mice resulted in the formation of collagen fibers surrounding the cancer cells. SSM promoted the proliferation and maturation of collagen fibers encasing the tumor cells. The intensity of collagen fiber formation varied with the kind of cancer cells used. The degree of proliferation of collagen fibers correlated with the antitumor effects of SSM. There was hardly any migration of lymphocytes, monocytes, and macrophages in the affected sites. It is interpreted that SSM stimulates the proliferation and maturation of collagen fibers in the host as a major mechanism of its antitumor property. When examined by circular dichroism this proliferation was found to be dependent upon changes in the molecular structure of the substances which make up the cell membrane. Fibronectin was presumed to be important among these substances.
Kimoto
T
T
Department of Pathology, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan.
Watanabe
S
S
Hyodoh
F
F
Saito
T
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D001500:BCG Vaccine; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D003094:Collagen