Noggin blocks invasive growth of murine B16-F1 melanoma cells in the optic cup of the chick embryo.
Melanoma cells originate from the neural crest and are characterized by high migratory potential and invasive growth. After transplantation into the neural tube of the chick embryo, melanoma cells spontaneously emigrate along the neural crest pathways without tumor formation or malignant growth. This emigration depends on the constitutive over-expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and can be ablated by the BMP-antagonist noggin. When transplanted into the embryonic optic cup, melanoma cells invade the host tissue and form malignant tumors. Here, we asked if the invasive growth of melanoma cells in the optic cup could be influenced by BMP-2 or noggin. Mouse B16-F1 cells were grown as aggregates, treated with BMP-2 or noggin during aggregation and transplanted into the optic cup of 3-day chick embryos. After 3 days of subsequent incubation, embryos were evaluated for melanoma cell invasiveness. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that untreated and BMP-2-treated melanoma cells had grown malignantly into the host tissue. However, noggin pretreatment of the aggregates had blocked melanoma cell invasiveness and tumor formation. We conclude that invasive growth of melanoma cells in vivo is BMP-dependent and can be ablated by noggin, thus rendering noggin a promising agent for the treatment of BMP-over-expressing melanoma.
Busch
Christian
C
Department of Dermatology, Section of Dermatologic Oncology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Drews
Ulrich
U
Eisele
Stefan R
SR
Garbe
Claus
C
Oppitz
Matthias
M
D000818:Animals; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D002642:Chick Embryo; D005123:Eye / Q000196:embryology*; D005260:Female; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000637:transplantation; D000099176:Noggin Protein
D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D000099176:Noggin Protein; C525719:Bmp2 protein, mouse