title: Suppression of invasive behavior of melanoma cells by stable expression of anti-sense perlecan cDNA.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heparan sulfate proteoglycans are one of the major components of extracellular matrix and are secreted at different levels by several normal and tumoral cells. Perlecan, the basement membrane proteoglycan, has structural domains involved in cell/matrix interactions and growth factor storage. Metastatic melanoma cells show an increase in perlecan expression as compared to low metastatic ones. We examined whether reduction of perlecan expression could down-modulate the malignant phenotype in melanoma clones.
  
  
  METHODS
  We transfected B16-F10 murine malignant melanoma cells with a perlecan antisense cDNA construct and tested the in vitro behavior of the selected clones.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of antisense mRNA corresponded to a reduction of perlecan synthesis. The clones with reduced perlecan synthesis showed a down-regulation of proliferation and invasion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results further indicate the importance of perlecan as a regulator of growth factor activity affecting the biological properties of metastatic cells, and suggest the potential use of antisense perlecan DNA in anti-melanoma gene therapy approaches.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adatia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carlone
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giunciuglio
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santi
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Noonan
mesh_terms: D016373:DNA, Antisense; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D016373:DNA, Antisense; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate; D011509:Proteoglycans; C071927:perlecan