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Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 increases microglial infiltration and aggressiveness of gliomas
Michael Platten1, Alexandra Kretz, Ulrike Naumann
1Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen Medical School, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Abstract:
Macrophages are thought to represent a first line of defense in anti-tumor immunity. Despite infiltration by microglial cells, however, malignant gliomas are still highly aggressive tumors. We here identify monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) as a critical chemoattractant for glioma-infiltrating microglial cells. MCP-1-transfected rat CNS-1 gliomas were massively infiltrated by microglial cells. Whereas MCP-1 did not promote the growth of CNS-1 cells in vitro, intracerebral CNS-1-transfected tumors grew more aggressively than control-transfected tumors. This provides the first functional evidence that MCP-1 recruits microglial cells to gliomas and promotes their growth in vivo. Microglial cells may support rather than suppress glioma growth.