[Interaction of lung cancer cells and fibroblasts]

Fibroblasts are found to secrete several factors, but complex interactions between cancer cells and fibroblasts are not well known. In this report, it was discussed how fibroblasts derived from lung cancer tissues affected lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. As results, the growth of 4 of eight cancer cells was promoted by any medium conditioned by fibroblasts (C.M) in vitro. Fifty percent of the 12 fibroblasts had some effect on promoting the growth of cancer cells, but had no effect on suppressing cancer cells. The C.Ms promoting the growth of cancer cells in vitro exerted the same effect in nude mice, too. Coinoculation of fibroblasts and cancer cells into nude mice gained higher tumorigenicity than cancer cells alone with no relation to their subclasses. It was suggested that to examine the effect on promoting the growth of cancer cells by fibroblasts derived from lung cancer tissues in vitro was able to prospect how fibroblasts affected cancer cells in vivo and fibroblasts made some good condition to transplanted cancer cells into nude mice by means different from growth factors.