SPARC is required for spontaneous metastasis SPARC is required for spontaneous metastasis. 4T1 cells were injected into the mammary fat pad (A and B) or i.v. SPARC is required for spontaneous metastasis. 4T1 cells were injected into the mammary fat pad (A and B) or i.v. (C) of wt (•) or SPARC KO (○) mice. A, growth of primary tumor following mammary fat pad injection. Points, mean volume (n = 20); bars, SD. B, spontaneous lung metastases from tumors shown in A. Bars, median number of lung colonies. Clonogenic assay was done 28 d after mammary fat pad cell injection. ***, P < 0.001, two-tailed Mann-Whitney t test. C, experimental lung colonies after i.v. cell injection. Bars, median number of lung metastasis. Clonogenic assay was done 14 d after i.v. cell injection. Sabina Sangaletti et al. Cancer Res 2008;68:9050-9059 ©2008 by American Association for Cancer Research