DIFFERENTIAL-EFFECTS OF FIBROBLAST COCULTURE ON MCF-7 AND MDA-231 BREAST-CARCINOMA CELL INVASION THROUGH MATRIGEL

The stimulative effect of conditioned media collected from fibroblasts or breast epithelial cells on breast carcinoma cell invasion through Matrigel was studied. Fibroblast conditioned medium was more efficient than media collected from breast epithelial cells in stimulating chem oinvasion of highly invasive MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-436 cells. In contr ast, fibroblast conditioned medium was found to be less effective than breast epithelial cell conditioned medium in stimulating invasion of weakly metastatic MCF-7 cells. These data suggest that fibroblasts pre ferentially enhance the invasive capacity of highly malignant breast c arcinoma cells.