Anti-tumor immunoglobulin M increases lung metastasis in an experimental model of malignant melanoma.

Cancer metastasis involves distinct steps that depend on complicated tumor-host interactions. The hematogenous dissemination of tumor cells may be facilitated by factors that promote the arrest and adherence of cancer cells in capillaries. We examined whether anti-tumor monoclonal immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies promoted the hematogenous dissemination of B16 melanoma cells in syngeneic mice.