Detection and assessment of human tumours producing granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) by heterotransplantation into nude mice

Br J Cancer. 1980 May;41(5):689-94. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1980.130.

Abstract

Production of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor(s) (GM-CSF) by human tumours was investigated using heterotransplantation of a number of different tumours in nude mice. An increase in granulocyte numbers (> 20,000/mm3) in the peripheral blood of nude mice accompanied the growth of 9 of the 25 transplanted tumours. GM-CSF activity tested against normal human marrow cells was relatively high in 6 of these 9 tumours. Moreover there was either weak activity or none at all in 14 of the 16 tumours that failed to cause a definite granulocytosis. The correlation between granulocytosis and GM-CSF activity was 0.36, which was statistically significant (P < 0.01). These findings indicate that the transplantation of human tumours into nude mice can provide a useful tool for detection and characterization of granulopoietic factors derived from the tumours.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Colony-Stimulating Factors / biosynthesis*
  • Female
  • Granulocytes / pathology
  • Humans
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Macrophages
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / metabolism*
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology
  • Transplantation, Heterologous

Substances

  • Colony-Stimulating Factors