A tumour vaccine of fixed tumour fragments in a controlled-release vehicle with cytokines for therapy of hepatoma in mice.
BACKGROUND
Cytokines can be strong potentiators for a tumour vaccine, but they have very short life in vivo when administered as a solution.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the slow release of interleukin 2 from a cytokine-vehicle in vitro and in vivo and to evaluate the anti-tumour activity of a new tumour vaccine in vivo.


METHODS
The tumour vaccine was composed of formalin-fixed Hepa 1-6 hepatoma tissue fragments, tuberculin and a lipid based vehicle containing granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin 2. The quantity of interleukin 2 release from the cytokine-vehicle in vitro and in vivo was determined by a proliferation assay with CTLL-2 cell line. Hepa 1-6 hepatoma model system with C57BL/6J mice was used to examine protective and therapeutic anti-tumour effect of the vaccine.


RESULTS
Release of interleukin 2 from the cytokine-vehicle lasted 5 days in vitro and 3 days in vivo. The vaccine protected 67% of mice from a Hepa 1-6 cell challenge and had a therapeutic effect by prolonging the life span of mice bearing established Hepa 1-6 tumours of 5 mm in diameter. Of the treated mice, 20% became completely tumour-free.


CONCLUSIONS
Formalin-fixed tumour fragments and cytokines in controlled-release vehicle are useful in the rational design of tumour vaccines.
Kushida
S
S
RIKEN Cell Bank, RIKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), 3-1-1 Koyadai, Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan.
Peng
B G
BG
Uchimura
E
E
Kuang
M
M
Huang
L
L
Miwa
M
M
Ohno
T
T
D000818:Animals; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles
D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles