Depletion of nutrients stimulates further propagation of cancer cells

Department of Cosmetic Science, Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, 60, Erh-Jen RD., Sec. 1, Jen-Te, Tainan (Zip code 717), Taiwan Taoyuan General Hospital, 1492, Chung-Shan Road, Taoyuan City, Taoyuan (zip code 330), Taiwan *Corresponding Author Email: [email protected] Phone: 886-6-266-4911 ext 2400 Fax: 886-6-266-7324 In present study, B16-F10 cell line was grown in 96-well culture plate with different amount of culture medium. We expected the cell proliferation rate decreased accompanied with lower volume of medium. Interestingly, in 100 l culture medium, cell number of B16-F10 cells was significantly increased. This result indicated that low nutrient condition would not inhibit cell proliferation, but stimulated cell growth. To further confirm this notion, STO cell was cultured under different amount of culture medium. The result was in line with B16-F10 cells, growth rate of STO cells was significantly increased in 80 l. Above result suggested such depletion of nutrients stimulates further propagation of cancer cells. Cancer could be considered as a response outcome when cells strive to survive against stress. In present study, cells were grown with higher proliferation rate in lower supplement of culture medium. This data suggested that stress could stimulate the propagation of cells by lowering the nutrients of cell culture medium. This observation proposes a cancer formation mechanism, which provides a new research direction of cancer treatment. The stress factors that might cause tumorogenesis are diverse, and perhaps are not easy to remove. Finding a method or medicine that could inhibit cell proliferation under stress provides an opportunity to develop the key indicators and a method to effectively prevent cancer formation.