ICANCER RESEARCH57, 3890-3894. September 15, 1997]
Advances in Brief
Bisphosphonates Inhibit Prostate and Breast Carcinoma Cell Adhesion to
Unmineralized and Mineralized Bone Extracellular Matrices1
Sandrine Boissier, Sandrine Magnetto, Lucien Frappart, Beatrice Cuzin, Frank H. Ebetino, Pierre D. Delmas, and
Philippe Clezardin2
Institut National de Ia Sante et de Ia Recherche MEdicale Research Unit 403, Pavilion F (S. B., S. M., P. D. D., P. C.), Service d'Anatomopathologie IL F.), and Pavilion V
(B. C.), HOpital Edouard Herriot, 69437 Lyon, France: and Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Mason@Ohio (F. H. El.
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms by which tumor cells induce osteolytic
metastases are likely to Involve tumor cell adhesion to bone as well as the
release of soluble mediators from tumor cells that stimulate osteoclast
mediated bone resorption. Bisphosphonates (BPs) are powerful Inhibitors
of the osteoclast activity and are, therefore, used In the treatment of
cancer-associated osteolytic metastases. Here, we Investigated the effect of
BPs on breast and prostate carcinoma cell adhesion to unmineralized and
mineralized bone extracellular matrices. BP pretreatment of tumor cells
inhibited tumor cell adhesion to unmlnerallzed and mineralized osteoblas
tic extracellular matrices in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, HP did
not affect adhesion of normal cells (fibroblasts) to extracellular matrices.
The order of potency for four BPs In InhibIting tumor cell adhesion to
extracellular matrices was found to be: ibandronate > NE.10244 (antire
sorptlve active pyrldinium analogue ofrisedronate) > pamidronate > do
dronate. HP did not affect [3H]thymldineIncorporation by tumor cells, as
assessed by a mitogenesls assay, indicating that HP did not exert any
cytotoxlc effect at concentrations used to Inhibit tumor cell adhesion.
NE-58051, the Inactive pyrldylpropylldene analogue of risedronate, had
no Inhibitory effect on tumor cell adhesion compared to that observed
with Its active counterpart NE-10244, suggesting that the mechanism of
action of BP on tumor cells involved a stereospecific recognition step.
Although Integrins mediate cell-matrix Interactions, HP recognition by
tumor cells did not mOdUlatecell surface Integrinexpression. In conclu
slon, our results provide evidence for a direct cellular effect of BP In
preventing tumor cell adhesion to bone, suggesting that HPs may be useful
agents for the prophylactic treatment of patients with cancer that Is
known to preferentially metastasize to bone.
Introduction
A very common metastatic site for prostate and breast carcinomas
is bone (1, 2). In bone metastases, tumor cells reside in the bone
marrow, and the bone marrow tumor nest is frequently surrounded by
numerous osteoclasts that are resorbing bone (2). Tumor cells are also
found adjacent to the resorbed endosteal bone surface where there is
no evidence of resorbing osteoclasts, suggesting that tumor cells could
directly cause bone destruction (I, 2). Although the molecular mech
anisms by which tumor cells induce osteolytic metastases are not fully
understood, some of these mechanisms are likely to involve tumor cell
adhesion to bone extracellular matrix molecules as well as the release
of soluble mediators from tumor cells that stimulate osteoclast-medi
ated bone resorption (2). Thus, any agent that could interfere with
Received 9/6/96; accepted 7/30/97.
The costs of publicationof this article were defrayedin partby the paymentof page
charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked advertisement in accordance with
18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicatethis fact.
I This study was supported by grants from the Institut National de la Sante et de la
RechercheMédicele(INSERM; to P.C.),Rhbne-Poulenc RORERLaboratories (toP.C.),
and the Association pour la Recherche sur Las Tumeurs de la Prostate (to P. C.).
2 To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at INSERM Research Unit 403,
Pavillon F, Hbpital Edouard Herriott, Place d'Arsonval, 69437 Lyon Cédex03, France.
these mechanisms would be a major therapeutic advance in the
treatment of bone metastases.
BPs3 are analogues of the naturally occurring compound pyrophos
phate (3). They bind avidly to the bone mineral and are powerful
inhibitors of bone resorption (3). They act directly on osteoclasts by
preventing their recruitment from bone marrow, inhibiting their ca
pacity to resorb bone, and shortening their life span (3). This provided
the rationale for the use of BPs in the treatment of patients with
osteolytic metastases. BPs (pamidronate and clodronate) reduce the
occurrence of fractures and decrease the formation of newly osteolytic
lesions in breast cancer patients (4, 5). Animal studies also demon
strate that pretreatment of nude mice with a potent antiresorptive BP,
risedronate [2-(3-pyridyl)-l-hydroxyethylidene bisphosphomc acid],
before breast carcinoma cell inoculation shows a marked reduction of
the osteolytic lesions and a marked decrease in tumor burden in bone
(6). BP pretreatment of corticalboneslicesalsopartiallyinhibited
breast carcinoma cell adhesion in vitro (7). Moreover, it has been
recently shown that adjuvant treatment of breast cancer patients with
the BP clodronate reduces the incidence and number of bone and
nonbone metastases (8). These very important observations (6—8)
suggest, therefore, that BPs not only act on osteoclasts but may also
affect the invasive behavior of metastatic cells in bone. Here, we
investigated the effect of BPs on tumor cell adhesion to bone. We
have found that BPs inhibit tumor cell adhesion to unmineralized and
mineralized bone extracellular matrices through a specific action on
tumor cells. These results suggest that BPs may be useful agents for
the prophylactic treatment of patients with cancer that is known to
preferentially metastasize to bone.
Materials and Methods
HPs. Five BPs were used. Clodronate[dichloromethylenebisphosphonic
acid] was obtained from RhOne-Poulenc RORER Laboratories (France). Pam
idronate [3-amino-l-hydroxypropylidene bisphosphomc acidi was obtained
fromCiba-Geigy(Germany).Ibandronate[l-hydroxy-3(methylpentylamino)-
propylidenebisphosphomcacid] was a gift from Dr. F. Bauss (Bochringer
Mannheim, Germany). Disodium 2-(N-methyl-3-pyridinyl)-l-hydmxyethyli
dene bisphosphonic acid (NE-l0244), a potent antiresorptiveanalogue of
risedronate, and 3-(3-pyridyl)-l-hydroxypropylidsne bisphosphomc acid (NE
58051), an inactive analogue of risedronate, were obtained from Procter &
Gamble Pharmaceuticals.
CellLInes. Humanbreastcarcinoma(MCF-7andMDA-MB-231),prostate
carcinoma (PC3), and osteosarcoma (MG-63) celllines were obtained from the
American Type Culture Collection. Cell line PmPC3 is a highly metastatic
variant ofhuman prostate carcinoma cell line PC3. Human foreskin fibroblasts
were kindly providedby Dr. D. Schmitt (HOpitalEdouardHerriot).Human
osteoblastswere isolatedfrom trabecularbone andculturedusing methodsas
described previously (9).
3 The abbreviation used is: BP, bisphosphonate.
3890
Research.
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