Stromal expression of activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) promotes lung tumor growth and metastasis.

In this study, we made use of ALCAM-deficient (ALCAM(-/-)) mice to evaluate the role of ALCAM in lung tumor growth and metastasis. ALCAM(-/-) mice displayed an altered blood vascular network in the lung and the diaphragm, indicative of an angiogenesis defect. Absence of ALCAM expression by cells forming the stromal tumor microenvironment profoundly impacted lung tumor growth in three different intravenous metastasis models. In the case of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC), an additional defect in tumor cell homing to the lungs and a resulting reduction in the number of lung tumor nodules was observed. Similarly, when LLC were subcutaneously implanted to study spontaneous tumor cell metastasis, the rate of LLC metastases to the lungs was profoundly reduced in ALCAM(-/-) mice. Taken together, our work demonstrates for the first time the in vivo contribution of ALCAM to angiogenesis and reveals a novel role of stromally expressed ALCAM in supporting tumor growth and metastatic spread. PMID: 28822802 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: The American Journal of Pathology - Category: Pathology Authors: Tags: Am J Pathol Source Type: research