title: Anti-tumor activity of mesenchymal stem cells producing IL-12 in a mouse melanoma model.
abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a new tool for delivery of therapeutic agents to tumor cells. In this study, we have evaluated the anti-tumor activity of human MSCs stably transduced with a retroviral vector expressing the cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12) in a mouse melanoma model. Application of MSC(IL-12) but not control MSCs strongly reduced the formation of lung metastases of B16F10 melanoma cells. The activity of the MSC(IL-12) cells was dependent on the presence of natural killer (NK) cells in this experimental setting. Further, MSC(IL-12) cells elicited a pronounced retardation of tumor growth and led to prolonged survival when injected into established subcutaneous melanoma in a therapeutic regimen. The therapeutic effect of the MSC(IL-12) was in part mediated by CD8(+) T cells, while NK cells and CD4(+) T cells appeared to play a minor role. The anti-tumor effect of MSC(IL-12) cells was of similar efficiency as observed for application of naked plasmid DNA encoding IL-12. The presented data demonstrate that these two different strategies can induce a similar therapeutic anti-tumor efficacy in the mouse melanoma tumor model.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Elzaouk
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moelling
authors.forename: Jovan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pavlovic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D051381:Rats; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D014161:Transduction, Genetic
chemical_list: D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma