title: Correlation between morphology of colonies formed by human thyroid tumor cells in collagen gel culture and invasive ability.
abstract: Two different types of colonies from human thyroid papillary carcinomas were observed in collagen gel culture. One was a branching type, with many three-dimensional outgrowths. The other was a spherical type, with no outgrowths. As viewed by electron microscopy, the tumor cells of spherical-type colonies had more microvilli on their surfaces than did cells in the branching-type colonies. Histochemically, the tumor cells of spherical-type colonies had stronger positive reactions than did tumor cells of branching-type colonies. This suggests that tumor cells of spherical-type colonies have a higher potential for dissemination and invasion than do tumor cells of branching-type colonies. In fact, cases with higher percentages of spherical-type colonies could show extracapsular invasion histopathologically. Our results indicate that collagen gel culture is a useful method for studying the heterogeneity of tumor cells as well as their invasive ability in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University School of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kusunoki
authors.forename: Shozo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomura
mesh_terms: D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003094:Collagen; D003470:Culture Media; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000378:metabolism; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D005782:Gels; D013972:Thyrotropin; D003094:Collagen; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1