Interleukin-6-type cytokines and their receptors for gene therapy of melanoma.
B-78-H1 melanoma cells were stably transfected with cDNAs encoding human IL-6, human LIF, murine sIL-6R and murine sLIFR. The mock transfected and transfected cells demonstrated no detectable H-2Kb molecules. B-78 transfected cells were subcutaneously (s.c.) and intravenously (i.v.) injected to B57BL/6 x C3H mice. Control B-78 cells formed tumors and lung metastases in injected animals. Cells transfected with IL-6, LIF and sIL-6R showed greatly reduced tumor and metastases formation. Transfection of IL-6, sIL-6R or LIF had similar protective effects while the combination of IL-6 and sIL-6R was most effective. In contrast, cells transfected with sLIFR showed reduced metastasis formation but increased tumor growth compared to mock transfected cells. Kinetic analysis demonstrated a 3 weeks lag period between the formation of tumors by B-78 cells and the combination of B-78 cells transfected with IL-6 and sIL-6R. No such lag phase was seen when B-78-IL-6 or B-78-sIL-6R cells were injected alone. Mice primarily injected s.c. with a mixture of IL-6 and sIL-6R transfected cells and rechallenged after 2 weeks with parental B-78 cells demonstrated long-lasting antitumor immunity. IL-6 and sIL-6 transfected cells used alone for immunization had only limited effect. Injection of transfected cells into SCID mice which are characterized by greatly reduced number of T and B cells, showed a protective effect of sIL-6R on metastasis formation by B-78 cells. beta 2m knockout mice lacking CD8+ T cells, injected with B-78 cells developed tumors and died after 2 weeks. However, B-78 cells transfected with IL-6 developed tumors in only 50% of animals. Mice without tumors rechallenged with B-78 cells demonstrated required immunity against parental melanoma cells. The results obtained indicate that studied IL-6-type cytokines and their respective soluble receptors affect murine melanoma growth and metastasis formation. The major finding of these studies is that IL-6 complexed with sIL-6R demonstrated qualitatively different biological activity than IL-6 alone especially in stimulating long lasting anti-melanoma immunity. The proposed mechanism of action of such complexes beside activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes is activation of NK cells.
Mackiewicz
A
A
Department of Cancer Immunology, Great Poland Cancer Center, Poznań.
Wiznerowicz
M
M
Roeb
E
E
Nowak
J
J
Pawlowski
T
T
Baumann
H
H
Heinrich
P C
PC
Rose-John
S
S
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D053680:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D053606:Receptors, OSM-LIF; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D015850:Interleukin-6; C507837:LIF protein, human; C507840:LIFR protein, human; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D053680:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit; C507838:Lif protein, mouse; C507841:Lifr protein, mouse; D008222:Lymphokines; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D053606:Receptors, OSM-LIF