title: Absence of fibroblast growth factor 2 does not prevent tumor formation originating from the RPE.
abstract: We have analysed the importance of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in tumor development. In a transgenic mouse model (Tyrp1-Tag) tumors form in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), invade surrounding tissues, and metastasize to lymph node and spleen. To address whether RPE tumor formation is dependent on FGF2, we generated FGF2-deficient mice. Such mice appeared healthy and exhibited no impairment of growth or development. Tyrp1-Tag transgenic mice, which are lacking FGF2 (FGF2-/-) developed RPE tumors that metastasize to spleen and lymph nodes. Tumor growth and survival rate are identical to Tyrp1-Tag transgenic littermates expressing FGF2. Cell lines were isolated from RPE tumors of wild-type and FGF2-deficient mice. They grow in culture, are pigmented and form vascularized tumors, when injected subcutaneously into nude mice of either FGF2-/- or FGF2+/+ genetic background. Kinetics of tumor growth was identical and independent of presence of FGF2. Together, these results demonstrate that FGF2 is not essential for tumor formation of the RPE thus suggesting that tumor growth in general may not be dependent on FGF2.
authors.affiliation: ISREC (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research), Chemin des Boveresses 155, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foletti
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ackermann
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hummler
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beermann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000473:pathology*; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014604:Uveal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D012313:RNA; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C079621:Tyrp1 protein, mouse