Monocyte differentiation induced by co-culture with tumor cells involves RGD-dependent cell adhesion to extracellular matrix

Macrophages that infiltrate tumor tissues, or tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), affect the malignant behaviors of tumor cells. In this study, we attempted to induce monocytes to differentiate into TAM-like cells producing matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) by co-culture with tumor cells. When human monocytes were co-cultured for 3–7 days with tumor cell lines, monocytes differentiated to produce MMP-9, accompanied by morphological changes. The in vitro cell invasion of MKN1 human gastric carcinoma cells into Matrigel membranes was promoted in the presence of differentiated monocytes, and the enhancement of cell invasion by differentiated monocytes was correlated with their MMP-9 productivity. The addition of an RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) peptide to the culture significantly inhibited monocyte differentiation. The MMP-9 production from monocytes was diminished by the depletion of fibronectin from the conditioned media with gelatin-Sepharose, and potentiated by culturing them in fibronectin-coated plates. These results suggest that cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix plays a crucial role in monocyte differentiation into TAM-like cells.