Cancer cell binding to E-selectin transfected human endothelia.

Human endothelial cells were transiently transfected with E-Selectin which enabled us to study tumor cell/endothelial interactions following engagement of E-Selectin without the added complications of metabolic stimulation, morphological changes, and/or up regulation of other adhesion molecules due to cytokine induction. Similar results were received from in vitro binding studies and FACS analyses on both Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha activated and E-Selectin transfected endothelial cells. These data suggest that this methodology is appropriate for dissecting the individual activities of E-selectin while minimizing the participation of other adhesion molecules, thereby allowing us to develop a better understanding of the role of E-Selectin and endothelia in metastatic disease.