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Volume 2 Number 4 / Online supplement (J. Cancer Mol. 2: S2, 2006) (Movie) Tumor-Associated Macrophages Induce Vascular Endothelial Cell Capillary Tube and Network Formation provided by Chun-Chung Lee, Ko-Jiunn Liu and Tze-Sing Huang (National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC) Vascular endothelial cells can be induced to display the morphology of capillary tubes and further network formation on Matrigel, which can serve as an in vitro angiogenic activity assay. Endothelial cells could not efficiently form capillary tubes and network when they were laid over the Matrigel without VEGF and FBS. Similar results were observed if the Matrigel was mixed only with MCF-7 breast cancer cells or macrophages. However, the Matrigel combined with MCF-7 cells plus macrophages was capable of inducing efficient vascular endothelial cell capillary tube and network formation. The induction level was superior to that with Matrigel mixing with 100 ng/ml of VEGF. Time-lapse photography was performed to monitor the whole process. It was observed that capillary tube and network formation began at ~1.5 h and soon peaked at ~3.5 h. After 6 h, the network gradually broke down and the cells finally aggregated. (Time-lapse photography was performed by taking pictures at 10-min intervals for a total 9-h period. The movie is played by showing 6 pictures per sec). For details, please also see the research paper ([PDF]) and review article ([PDF]) published in this issue.
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