Cell
Volume 48, Issue 3, 13 February 1987, Pages 417-428
Journal home page for Cell

Article
Evidence that transforming growth factor-β is a hormonally regulated negative growth factor in human breast cancer cells

https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-8674(87)90193-0Get rights and content

Abstract

The hormone-dependent human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 secretes transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), which can be detected in the culture medium in a biologically active form. These polypeptides compete with human platelet-derived TGF-β for binding to its receptor, are biologically active in TGF-β-specific growth assays, and are recognized and inactivated by TGF-β-specific antibodies. Secretion of active TGF-β is induced 8 to 27-fold under treatment of MCF-7 cells with growth inhibitory concentrations of antiestrogens. Antiestrogen-induced TGF-β from MCF-7 cells inhibits the growth of an estrogen receptor-negative human breast cancer cell line in coculture experiments; growth inhibition is reversed with anti-TGF-β antibodies. We conclude that in MCF-7 cells, TGF-β is a hormonally regulated growth inhibitor with possible autocrine and paracrine functions in breast cancer cells.

References (61)

  • B. Westley et al.

    A secreted glycoprotein induced by estrogen in human breast cancer cell lines

    Cell

    (1980)
  • M.A. Anzano et al.

    Synergistic action of two transforming growth factors from murine sarcoma cells

    Cancer Res.

    (1982)
  • M.A. Anzano et al.

    Sarcoma growth factor from conditioned medium of virally transformed cells is composed of both type α and type β transforming growth factors

  • M.A. Anzano et al.

    Increased secretion of type β transforming growth factor accompanies viral transformation of cells

    Mol. Cell. Biol.

    (1985)
  • R.K. Assoian et al.

    Transforming growth factor β in human platelets: identification of a major storage site, purification and characterization

    J. Biol. Chem.

    (1983)
  • S.E. Bates et al.

    Characterization of estrogen responsive transforming activity

    Cancer Res.

    (1986)
  • Y.L. Berthois et al.

    Phenol red in tissue culture media is a weak estrogen: implications concerning the study of estrogen-responsive cells in culture

  • L.J. Black et al.

    Evidence for biological action of the antiestrogens LY 117018 and tamoxifen by different mechanisms

    Endocrinology

    (1983)
  • D.A. Bronzert et al.

    Selection and characterization of a breast cancer cell line resistant to the antiestrogen LY 117018

    Endocrinology

    (1985)
  • C.B. Childs et al.

    Serum contains a platelet-derived transforming growth factor

  • R.J. Coffey et al.

    Production of transforming growth factors by human colon cancer cell lines

    Cancer Res.

    (1986)
  • F. Cuttitta et al.

    Bombesin-like peptides can function as autocrine growth factors in human small-cell lung cancer

    Nature

    (1985)
  • P. Darbre et al.

    Effects of estradiol on human breast cancer cells in culture

    Cancer Res.

    (1983)
  • J.E. DeLarco et al.

    Growth factors from murine sarcoma virus-transformed cells

  • R. Derynck et al.

    Human transforming growth factor β complementary DNA sequence and expression in normal and transformed cells

    Nature

    (1985)
  • R.B. Dickson et al.

    Induction of epidermal growth factor-related polypeptides by 17β-estradiol in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells

    Endocrinology

    (1986)
  • R.B. Dickson et al.

    Estrogen-induced factors of breast cancer cells partially replace estrogen to promote tumor growth

    Science

    (1986)
  • R.B. Dickson et al.

    Activation of growth factor secretion in tumorigenic states of breast cancer induced by 17β-estradiol and v-rasH oncogene

  • V. Dupréz et al.

    Autocrine growth stimulation of a human T-cell lymphoma line by interleukin 2

  • P. Gunning et al.

    Isolation and characterization of full-length cDNA clones for human α-, β-, and γ-actin mRNAs: skeletal but not cytoplasmic actins have an amino-terminal cysteine that is subsequently removed

    Mol. Cell. Biol.

    (1983)
  • Cited by (868)

    • Hormonal Control of Breast Development

      2015, Endocrinology: Adult and Pediatric
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text