Treatment of Breast Cancer with Immunogenic Cells Transfected with DNA from Breast Cancer Cells
Abstract
This investigation was based on the hypothesis that weakly immunogenic, breast cancer-associated antigens, the products of mutant or dysregulated genes in the malignant cells, will be expressed in a highly immunogenic form by a semiallogeneic IL-2 secreting fibroblast transfected with DNA from breast cancer cells. To investigate this question, we transfected LN mouse fibroblasts (H2(sup k)) modified to secrete IL-2 with genomic DNA from breast adenocarcinoma that arose spontaneously in a C3H/He mouse (H2(sup k)). To increase their nonspecific immunogenic properties, the fibroblasts were also modified before transfection to express allogeneic MHC determinants (H-2K(sup b)). Afterward, the IL-2 secreting semiallogeneic cells were cotransfected with DNA from the spontaneous breast neoplasm, along with a plasmid (pHyg) conferring resistance to hygromycin. Pooled colonies of hygromycin resistant cells were then tested in C3H/HeJ mice for their immunogenic properties against the growth of the breast neoplasm. The results indicated that the tumor-bearing mice immunized with the transfected cells survived significantly longer than mice in various control groups and that CD8(+) T cells were required for the effectiveness of this type of therapy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA396617
Entities
People
- Dubravka Markovic
- Edward P. Cohen
Organizations
- University of Illinois at Chicago