2D Analysis of the adhesion molecules in huvec’s treated with soluble factors derived from breast cancer cells

Cancer has become one of the three first world‐wide causes of death and is a growing health problem in Mexico. Most studies have centered on defining molecular characteristics to distinguish early stages of metastatic tumor cells. We have studied cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) present on the surface of primary human endothelial cells that could serve as primary adhesion elements for metastatic cells, and have previously reported alterations of the endothelial CAMs expression pattern in response to the products secreted by human metastatic tumoral cells. The aim of this work was to initiate a proteomic analysis by means of 2D gels, characterizing the biochemical changes of the human endothelial CAMs before and after exposure to soluble factors derived from human cancer breast cells. These patterns were compared to those obtained in response to the pro‐inflammatory cytokine TNF. At the moment, Western analysis on 2D gels identifies spots of ICAM‐1 of high molecular weight and low isoelectrical point, suggesting isoforms with different states of glycosylation. Interestingly, although these spots are also present in response to TNF, they appear much more intense in cells treated with tumor cell derived factors. We postulate that these isoforms can be relevant to the contact and adhesion between this type of cancer breast cells and endothelial cells during metastasis. Supported by research grants: CONACyT 45519‐M and PAPIIT IN 205703.