title: Flt3-ligand induces transient tumor regression in an ectopic treatment model of major histocompatibility complex-negative prostate cancer.
abstract: We assessed the in vivo efficacy of Flt3-ligand (Flt3-L) treatment in C57BL/6 mice bearing a well-established MHC class I-negative prostate carcinoma TRAMP-C1. Flt3-L immunotherapy was initiated approximately 30 days after tumor inoculation, a time when > or =80% of the mice had palpable TRAMP-C1 tumors. Treatment with Flt3-L at 10 microg/day for 21 consecutive days suppressed TRAMP-C1 tumor growth and induced tumor stabilization (P = 0.0337). Enhanced tumor regression was demonstrated at a higher dose of 30 microg/day (P < 0.0001). Tumors excised from mice treated with Flt3-L were smaller than carrier-treated controls and contained a more pronounced mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate primarily composed of mphi. In regressor nice, tumors reappeared at the site of injection when Flt3-L therapy was terminated. When the experiment was repeated with MHC class I-positive TRAMP-C1 cells, tumor stabilization and/or regression was again observed after treatment (P < 0.0001); however, once again, tumors reappeared after the termination of therapy despite an extended treatment schedule (35 days). MHC class I-negative variants were present in tumors isolated from carrier- and Flt3-L-treated mice, and this phenotype could be reversed by IFN-gamma treatment in vitro. Thus, Flt3-L treatment of mice with preexisting transplantable prostate tumors results in tumor regression that is dose-dependent and accompanied by a pronounced mixed-cell inflammatory tumor infiltrate. However, disease relapse was invariably observed after the termination of therapy, which suggests that Flt3-L treatment of advanced MHC- prostate cancers will require adjuvant modalities to achieve a durable response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Cell Biology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk 23501, USA. rpc@borg.evms.edu
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ciavarra
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Somers
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Consolvo
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Schellhammer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D051381:Rats; D012074:Remission Induction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C084881:flt3 ligand protein; D007371:Interferon-gamma