Enhanced chemotaxis of tumor‐derived and virus‐transformed cells to fibronectin and fibroblast‐conditioned medium

SV40 transformants of human embryo fibroblasts showed an enhanced chemotactic response to fibronectin and conditioned medium of fibroblasts in comparison to the non‐transformed cells. An even higher chemotactic response was characteristic for a malignant human fibrosarcoma cell line, whereas cells derived from low‐grade malignant dermatofibrosarcoma showed a normal response in the Boyden chamber assay. The high stimulation of chemotaxis is paralleled by a reduced synthesis and an altered deposition of fibronectin in the pericellular matrix of these cells. Both high chemotactic response and lack of deposition of fibronectin may play a role in tissue invasion and formation of metastasis by malignant tumors.