title: Interleukin 4 (B cell stimulatory factor 1) can mediate the induction of lymphokine-activated killer cell activity directed against fresh tumor cells.
abstract: Interleukin 4 (IL-4) expresses multiple biologic activities, including B cell, mast cell, and T cell stimulation. We showed that the incubation of resting splenocytes from C57BL/6 mice solely in purified native or recombinant mouse IL-4 results in the generation of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity directed against fresh, syngeneic sarcoma cells. The precursor activated by IL-4 expresses surface asialo-GM1. In addition, IL-4 is capable of amplifying the splenic LAK activity induced by recombinant IL-2. The generation, by IL-4, of killer cells with broad antitumor reactivity raises the possibility of using IL-4 alone or in combination with IL-2 in the immunotherapy of cancer in animal models.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008222:Lymphokines; D015847:Interleukin-4