CD44 PARTICIPATES IN TUMOR-CELL ADHESION TO ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL METASTATIC PROCESS IN B16BL6 MELANOMA-CELLS

There are several pieces of evidence suggesting a relationship between CD44 expression and tumor metastasis, but the role of CD44 in the met astatic processes is nuclear. We analysed the role of CD44 in the expe rimental metastatic processes of B16BL6 melanoma cells using anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody (clone IM7). B16BL6 melanoma cells expressed CD44 and these cells treated with anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody increased in the experimental metastatic ability, indicating that CD44 participa tes in metastatic processes in B16BL6 cells. Fur thermore, the adhesiv eness of B16BL6 cells to endothelial cells and the retention of these cells in the lung increased by treatment with anti-CD44 monoclonal ant ibody. These results suggested that the CD44-mediated adhesion of tumo r cells to endothelial cells was involved in the experimental metastat ic process of B 16BL6 cells.