title: Quantitative study of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte immunotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In clinical practice, the common strategy for immunotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is to infuse cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) lines several times by intravenous injection, but it is difficult by laboratory research to investigate the relationship between treatment time-point, the amount of CTL added and the therapeutic effect. The objective of this study is to establish a mathematical model to study the therapeutic effect of different treatment time-points and amounts of CTL, and to predict the change in therapeutic effect when the percentage of EBV LMP2-specific CTL is increased from 10% to 20%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentration of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the tumor cell cytomembranes increases after CTL is added. Concurrently, there is a marked downward trend of the phosphorylated transforming growth factor-α (TGFα)-EGFR complex in the tumor cell cytomembranes, which indicates restriction of tumor growth after CTL immunotherapy. The relationships among the time of addition of CTL, the amount of CTL added, different CTL specificities for LMP2 and the increment rate k of the total number of tumor cells were evaluated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The simulation results quantify the relationships among treatment time-points, amount of CTL added, and the corresponding therapeutic effect of immunotherapy for NPC.
authors.affiliation: Medical Apparatus and Equipment Department, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shengjun
authors.forename: Guo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yunbo
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liyan
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jinming
authors.forename: Deng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Qinkai
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma; D003198:Computer Simulation; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D018448:Models, Immunological; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D066246:ErbB Receptors