GRANULOCYTE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR PROMOTES INVASION BY HUMAN LUNG-CANCER CELL-LINES IN-VITRO

The effects of exogenous and endogenous granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on invasion by cancer cells were studied, using lung c ancer cell lines that produce G-CSF (NCI-H157) and lines that do not ( PC-9 and NCI-H23), The invasive capacity of NCI-H157 cells was 26- to 27-fold higher than that of PC-9 and NCI-H23 cells, The invasiveness o f PC-9 cells was stimulated by exogenous G-CSF, while that of NCI-H157 tells was not, Antibodies against G-CSF blocked the stimulation of PC -9 cell invasiveness by exogenous G-CSF, Anti G-CSF antibodies also in hibited invasion by NCI-H157 cells in the absence of exogenous G-CSF, These results suggest that endogenous and exogenous G-CSF both stimula te invasion by lung cancer cells.