title: Anti-tumor effects of local irradiation in combination with peritumoral administration of low doses of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2).
abstract: The aim of this work was to improve radiotherapy results by immune stimulation. We tested the effects of a combination of radio- and immunotherapy, i.e., local low dose recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) treatment, in two murine tumor models. Syngeneic tumors (SL2 lymphoma or M8013 mammary carcinoma) were induced subcutaneously on one or both flanks of mice. Irradiation was given either as a single dose (20 Gy) or fractionated (25 Gy) in 2 weeks. One or two cycles of rIL-2 were given concurrent with or subsequent to radiotherapy. One cycle of rIL-2 consisted of peritumoral injections administered on 5 consecutive days. Treatment effects were measured in terms of local tumor response and disease-free survival (DFS). The combined treatment modality was significantly better than treatment with either irradiation alone or rIL-2 alone. When tumors were inoculated on both flanks of the mice, combined radioimmunotherapy of one of the tumors also resulted in regression of the contralateral untreated tumor, indicating that a systemic anti-tumor immune reaction was induced. Additional rIL-2 injections did not enhance radiation toxicity. In conclusion supplementing irradiation with locally administered low doses of rIL-2 results in better local anti-tumor responses and DFS rates than either treatment alone without enhanced treatment toxicity. Furthermore, the local treatment induces a systemic anti-tumor reaction, influencing the growth patterns of a second, untreated tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands. IS@radcl.ruu.nl
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Jürgenliemk-Schulz
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Renes
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Rutgers
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Everse
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bernsen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Den Otter
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Battermann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins