OF LB COLLAGEN PROMOTES CHEMOINVASION OF BREAST-CANCER CELLS AND DIRECTS EPITHELIAL-CELL MIGRATION INTO GRANULATION-TISSUE OF EXPERIMENTAL DERMAL WOUNDS/

OF/LB collagen is a recently described once-fetal form of collagen, wi th laminin-binding properties, composed of three alpha(1)(I)-sized cha ins, one of which displaying an unusually acidic pI. This collagen app ears able to direct the migration of breast cancer cells through Matri gel, and of injury-activated epithelial cells into the underlying gran ulation stromal tissue. The effect exerted by OF/LB collagen in vitro appears preferentially linked to its acidic chain. The data reported s trongly support the hypothesis that the presence and accumulation of O F/LB collagen in cancer may play a fundamental role in the invasive gr owth.