# TUMOR CELL INVASION OF MICROVESSEL SUBENDOTHELIAL MATRIX

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 1992 · $158,659

## Abstract

Cancer is characterized by its ability to invade surrounding
tissue, gain access to the blood vascular system and spread to
distant organ systems.  The process of blood-borne metastasis is
highly complex and requires the completion of a series of steps
by which tumor cell emboli finally arrest in the
microvasculature.  Extravasation is completed when the tumor cell
successfully invades both the endothelial layer and associated
basement membrane -- a process that is poorly understood.  The
specific aims in this proposal are (1) to determine by
morphological and ultrastructural techniques how tumor cells
invade microvascular endothelial cell monolayers and induce their
retraction, (2) to identify and characterize by biochemical and
immunochemical methods the types of surface adhesion receptors on
metastatic tumor cells that mediate their attachment to and
migration through the subendothelial matrix, and (3) to determine
the potential role of plasmin (generated by tumor cell-associated
plasminogen activator) and a tumor cell gelatinase in degrading
type IV collagen present in the subendothelial basement membrane
matrix.  These studies will be performed using an in vitro model
consisting of human metastatic tumor cells and human dermal
microvascular endothelial cells.  The microvascular endothelial
cells are well characterized and have been shown to produce a
basement membrane-like matrix composed of type IV collagen,
laminin, fibronectin, and heparan sulfate proteoglycan.
Information gained from these experiments should increase our
understanding of the mechanisms by which malignant tumor cells
complete the final phase of the metastatic cascade.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3171623
- **Project number:** 5R01CA033834-10
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **SAM.gov UEI:** KMH5K9V7S518
- **Principal Investigator:** RANDALL H KRAMER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1992
- **Award amount:** $158,659
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1983-02-01 → 1994-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3171623

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3171623, TUMOR CELL INVASION OF MICROVESSEL SUBENDOTHELIAL MATRIX (5R01CA033834-10). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3171623. Licensed CC0.

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