Platelet-facilitated adhesion of SV40-3T3 cells to collagen

The adhesion of SV40-3T3 cells to collagen has been used as a model to investigate factors which may influence the arrest and attachment of metastatic cells in the blood circulation. Adhesion of the transformed cells to collagen films was stimulated by pretreatment of the substrate with human plasma, a source of the cell attachment factor fibronectin, and equally effectively by platelets previously sedimented on to the collagen substrate. Platelet-facilitated adhesion of the transformed cells was related to the number of platelets deposited but there was no requirement for plasma components or for the release of platelet constituents.