title: Controlled release, biodegradable cytokine depots: a new approach in cancer vaccine design.
abstract: Experimental studies using murine tumor models have demonstrated that potent systemic immunity can be generated using tumor vaccines engineered by gene transfer to secrete certain cytokines. The underlying physiological principle behind these strategies involves the sustained release of high doses of cytokine at the site of the tumor. In some cases, this paracrine approach appears to enhance tumor antigen presentation and avoids systemic cytokine toxicity. The widespread clinical use of autologous cytokine gene transduced tumor vaccines may be limited by the technical difficulty and labor intensity of individualized gene transfer. We have therefore explored an alternate approach to generating sustained release of cytokines local to the tumor cells. High doses of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor encapsulated in cell-sized gelatin-chondroitin sulfate microspheres were mixed with irradiated tumor cells prior to s.c. injection. This vaccination scheme resulted in systemic anti-tumor immune responses comparable to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor gene transduced tumor vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Golumbek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Azhari
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Jaffee
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Levitsky
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lazenby
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Pardoll
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008863:Microspheres; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor