title: Experimental cancer immunotherapy: modification of tumor cells to increase immunogenicity.
abstract: Firmly established transplantable C3H/HeJ mammary carcinomas can be inhibited by host challenge with Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase (VCN)-treated tumor cells. The effect is totally immunospecific, even VCN-treated tumors bearing shared mammary tumor virus (MTV) antigen cannot induce the regression. Thus, VCN is capable of increasing the immunogenicity of the private, unique-unshared tumor antigens on mammary carcinomas; VCN is incapable of increasing the immunogenicity of the shared MTV-associated tumor antigen even in syngeneic C3HeB/FeJ MTV-free mice. The immunoregressive effect of VCN-treated tumor cells can be augmented by subtotal or total surgical excision of large transplantable tumors. Spontaneous mammary tumors in retired breeder C3H/HeJ female mice can be made to regress by two immunological maneuvers: (1) repeated intratumor injections of VCN and/or BCG; and (2) total excision and immunotherapy with VCN-treated autochthonous mammary tumor cells. The use of VCN-treated transplantable mammary tumor cells sharing the MTV-associated antigen was not better than excision alone. The evidence supports the idea that active specific immunotherapy of spontaneous tumors with VCN-altered tumor cells may require the use of autochthonous cells.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D000939:Epitopes; D008937:Mitomycins; D009439:Neuraminidase