During early tumor formation, before angiogenesis, cancer cells must proliferate in a nutrient poor environment. One way to acquire carbon sources would be to cannibalize surrounding cells.  This hypothesis is being investigated in a tissue culture model system in which a cancer cell line is allowed to reach confluency, at which point they begin to form tumor-like structures called foci. In contrast, normal cells undergo contact inhibition and so exit the proliferative cycle. Cell death in foci and untransformed cells under various growth conditions has been investigated using immunofluorescent microscopy. Critical carbon sources like glucose and glutamine were removed from the media and effects on cell organization and viability were evaluated. Results suggest cells in the center of the foci preferentially died, which may reflect their ability to obtain nutrients. Alternatively, they might be cannibalized by exterior cells due to their weakened state. Untransformed normal human fibroblasts also died under nutrient depleted conditions, but in marked contrast to transformed cells showed no apparent pattern in the cell population.

Comparison of nutrient deprived cellular behavior in transformed and untransformed cells

249th National Meeting (2015)

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