Co‐operation between metastatic tumor cells and macrophages in the degradation of basement membrane (type IV) collagen

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Abstract
The co‐culture of mouse peritoneal macrophages and Lewis lung carcinoma cells induces the relase of a metal‐dependent type IV collagen‐degrading proteinase which is not produced in detactable amounts by either cell type cultivated alone. Conditioned media of the co‐cultures degrade both pepsin‐extracted type IV collagen from human placenta and mouse type IV procollagen. Thus macrophages can interact with tumor cells to degrade basement membrane type IV collagen: this might be of importance to allow cancer invasion and metastasis.