Emilienne Wolff

Analyse biochimique des facteurs déterminant la croissance de tumeurs cancéreuses humaines en culture d'organes in vitro

Abstract : The article presents a general view of biochemical analysis of factors determining organotypic growth of human malignant tumours in vitro. Two human malignant tumours of intestinal origin have been maintained for several years, and these tumours proliferate actively in the form of massive organized nodules, comprised solely of cancer cells and devoid of stroma. They conserve their initial properties. These nodules live on chick embryo organs such as the mesonephros and the liver, with which they are associated on the culture medium. Their growth is such that at each 7-day transfer they can be divided into 2 or 3 fragments, thus their number is either maintained or rapidly increased subject to the need. These nodules are used for the study of the extracts or extract fractions which favour their proliferation in vitro. (Author)

LES FACTEURS DE LA CROISSANCE DE TUMEURS ASSOCIÉES À DES ORGANES EMBRYONNAIRES DE POULET

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a study in which numerous surgically removed human tumors were cultured in vitro in association with expiants of 8-day chick mesonephros. They retained their original structure and characteristics. A hepatic metastatic growth of the gastric epithelial tumor designated Z200 was cultured by this technique. When associated with fragments of mesonephros, tumor cells grow as solid nodules, consisting of epithelial cords surrounding alveolae. There was much proliferation in the cells of the nodules, whose rate of growth is very rapid. Some tumor expiants were separated from the mesonephros by a dialyzing membrane. They grow rapidly at the expense of dialyzing substances elaborated by the mesonephros. Such expiants were subcultured for more than 75 days. They form rather viscous solid nodules with less compact cords than when in direct association with the mesonephros. They retain their organized structure and their initial rate of proliferation. Evidence is also presented to show that it is possible to culture, directly, fragments of surgically removed human cancer for long periods with expiants of chick mesonephros.