Mammary Epithelium-induced Motility of MCF-7 Cells

Background: Cancer cell invasion may be mediated by motility factors elaborated by the surrounding normal host tissue. This study was performed to determine whether normal breast cells induce motility in breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells were co-cultured with either normal cultured human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) or immortalized 184 A1 mammary epithelial cells and observed for evidence of motility. The ability of conditioned medium from mammary epithelial cells to induce motility in MCF-7 was measured with scattering assays, Boyden chamber assays and time-lapse video microscopy.

Results: A soluble factor in the conditioned medium of both 184 A1 and HMEC induced motility in MCF-7. The motility factor was trypsin-sensitive, but activity remained after 5 minutes of boiling or 2 hours at pH 2.

Conclusion: Mammary epithelium secretes a protein capable of inducing motility in breast cancer cells, raising the possibility that this effect contributes to the invasive properties of human mammary carcinoma.