title: In vivo bioluminescence visualization of antitumor effects by human MUC1 vaccination.
abstract: Recently, the use of a cancer deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccine encoding tumor-associated antigens has emerged as an immunotherapeutic strategy. In this study, we monitored tumor growth inhibition by pcDNA3-hMUC1 immunization in mice using optical imaging. To determine the anti-hMUC1-associated immune response generated by pcDNA3.1 or pcDNA3-hMUC1, we determined the concentration of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) protein and CD8+IFN-gamma cell numbers among lymphocytes from the draining lymph nodes of mice immunized with pcDNA3.1 or pcDNA3-hMUC1. After subcutaneously injecting CT26/hMUC1-Fluc into mice immunized with pcDNA3-hMUC1, we monitored in vivo tumor growth inhibition using an optical imaging method. The concentration of IFN-gamma protein in pcDNA3-hMUC1 was higher than that of the pcDNA3.1 group (2.7 < or = 0.08 ng/mL and 1.6 +/- 0.07 ng/mL, respectively, p < .001. The number of hMUC1-associated CD8+IFN-gamma cells in pcDNA3-hMUC1-immunized animals was 30-fold higher than in the pcDNA3.1 group. Bioluminescent images showed tumor growth inhibition in pcDNA3-hMUC1 immunized animals up to 25 days after immunization. A good correlation (r2 = .9076: pcDNA3/hMUC1 group; r2 = .7428: pcDNA3.1 group) was observed between bioluminescence signals and tumor weights in two mice in each group. We conclude that optical bioluminescent imaging offers a useful means of monitoring the antitumor effects of cancer DNA immunization in living animals.
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Yong Hyun
authors: YH
authors: Jeon
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Choi
authors: Hyun Joo
authors: HJ
authors: Kim
authors: Joo Hyun
authors: JH
authors: Kang
authors: Chul Woo
authors: CW
authors: Kim
authors: Jae Min
authors: JM
authors: Jeong
authors: Dong Soo
authors: DS
authors: Lee
authors: June-Key
authors: JK
authors: Chung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D016207:Cytokines; C060192:MUC1 protein, human; D018396:Mucin-1; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly