Host-supplied connective tissue as a guide for proliferating tumor cells in human tumor xenografts

The morphologic alterations of 7 human tumors of different origin and various histologic types, heterotransplanted to athymic nude mice, were investigated in the present study. Constant patterns of histologic and ultrastructural changes were observed in all 7 tumors. Following the initial dying of most inoculated tumor cells, host-supplied inflammatory cells invaded the xenografts and phagocytosed necrotic tumor cells. Fibroblasts which vivaciously produced collagenous material invaded the xenografts and built up solid strands of connective tissue which tightly contacted surviving tumor cells. These stands were used as guide-rails for ingrowing blood vessels. Immediately after their immigration, the first mitoses of tumor cells occurred in close proximity to capillary-conducting strands of connective tissue resulting in a revival of tumor cell proliferation near to the fibrous cords and a spreading of newly formed tumor cells along the strands of connective tissue. These results point to the host-supplied connective tissue as playing an important role for tumor proliferation and local tumor expansion.