title: Immunotherapy of mice with an irradiated melanoma vaccine coupled with interleukin-12.
abstract: Interleukin (IL)-12 can activate cytotoxic lymphocytes, stimulate natural killer cell activity, induce the production of INF-gamma and inhibit the development of various experimental tumors. We previously demonstrated that immunotherapy of melanoma bearing mice with an irradiated melanoma vaccine (IMV) coupled with IL-2 or GM-CSF had beneficial effects against primary melanoma growth and against subsequent spontaneous metastasis. We also had found that treatment of melanoma bearing mice with IL-12 (300 ng/day) for 4 weeks inhibited the development of primary melanoma tumors in 40% of mice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of combined therapy of experimental melanoma with an IMV prepared from B16F10 melanoma cells coupled with IL-12 treatment. C57BL/6 mice were challenged subcutaneously in the tail with B16F10 melanoma cells and by the 45th day, more than 50% of the mice had developed visible primary melanoma tumors at the injection site. Subsequent immunotherapy of mice with IMV, when coupled with IL-12, provided partial inhibition of primary melanoma tumor growth. Optimal results against primary tumor growth were observed when IMV therapy was coupled with IL-12 at a dose of 50 ng/day. Combination of IMV with IL-12 at a dose of 100 ng/day significantly reduced melanoma metastasis to the lungs compared with control mice, and an improvement in mean survival time was observed in mice treated with a combination of IMV with IL-12 (300 ng/day).
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Shrayer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Hearing
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wanebo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007167:Immunotherapy; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000556:secondary; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000628:therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D018664:Interleukin-12