title: Biological Response Modifiers Programme and cancer chemotherapy.
abstract: The Biological Response Modifiers Programme (BRMP) is a comprehensive programme of the National Cancer Institute to evaluate the therapeutic effect of biological substances that might be useful in the treatment of cancer. Immunomodulation agents, interferons, cytokines, growth and maturation factors, antitumour effector cells and antibodies, and chalones are all potential biological response modifiers (BRM). The BRMP has a biologic preclinical evaluation capability whereby new agents can be evaluated as potential BRM in preclinical models. Effective biological response modifying activity in preclinical models with a therapeutic efficacy in cancer is a requirement for an agent to continue on into clinical testing. Initial results with interferon, thymic factors and other immune modulators are interesting but very preliminary. These agents are being tested for the ability to alter biological responses as well as for toxic and therapeutic effects. Optimization of the biological response modification capability may be predictive for therapeutic efficacy. Purified cytokines, specific tumour-associated antigens, and monoclonal antibody directed toward antigenic specificiteis on the cancer cell all provide exciting avenues for future investigation. Components of the BRMP will be described and preliminary results with selected BRM will be presented. The interaction between BRM and cancer chemotherapy should be investigated further. Certain cytokines are known to enhance bone-marrow-stem cell function and many of these may be useful in conjunction with cancer chemotherapy to lessen the toxic on normal cell populations often encountered with chemotherapy.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016207:Cytokines; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.) / Q000458:organization & administration; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000628:therapy; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000628:therapy; D051381:Rats; D012107:Research Design; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001688:Biological Products; D016207:Cytokines; D006133:Growth Substances; D008222:Lymphokines; D007372:Interferons