STIMULATION OF HUMAN PROSTATE-CANCER CELL-LINES BY FACTORS PRESENT INHUMAN OSTEOBLAST-LIKE CELLS BUT NOT IN BONE-MARROW

Secondary deposits of prostate tumours are frequently found in the ske leton where they produce osteoblastic lesions. In this study both oste oblast-like cells and bone marrow from the proximal femur have been cu ltured to determine whether or not they can release factors which coul d support the growth of secondary prostate tumours. Media conditioned by both osteoblast-like cells (OBCM) and bone marrow were examined for their potential to stimulate prostate carcinoma cell lines. Whilst th e results obtained demonstrated that OBCM could enhance the growth of both the hormone sensitive (LNCaP) and hormone unresponsive (PC-3 and DU-145) prostate carcinoma cell lines, no proliferative effect could b e shown on cell lines derived from cancers of the breast, bladder, and liver. Significantly, media conditioned by either bone marrow or huma n skin fibroblasts also had no effect on the growth of prostate carcin oma cell lines. This study supports the possibility that the prolifera tion of prostate cancer cells at secondary skeletal sites, in vivo, ma y be due to osteoblast derived factors. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.