title: AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma cells secrete a neurotrophic growth factor(s).
abstract: Here we treat neuronal cells with AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma cell conditioned medium (A-KSCM) in order to determine if AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma (A-KS) cells secrete neurotrophic factors. PC12 and NG108-15 cells were differentiated and allowed to form neuronal processes. Under these conditions and in the presence of A-KSCM, PC12 cells exhibited more than a twofold increase in the number of branches per process and a 40% increase in the number of processes per cell. For NG108-15 cells, A-KSCM treatment resulted in a three-fold increase in the number of branches per process and nearly a twofold increase in the number of processes per cell. A-KS cells secrete at least seven known growth factors; however, when tested, none of these growth factors mimicked the effect of A-KSCM on neuronal cell processes. Therefore A-KS cells secrete a neurotrophic factor(s) which remains to be identified and may play a critical role in the progression of A-KS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Weeks
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cooney
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D007797:Laminin; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors