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Treatment of a Murine Leukemia with Spleen Cells or Sera from Allogeneic Mice Immunized against the Tumor¹

Chester Beatty Research Institute, Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Cancer Hospital, London, England

L5178Y leukemia cells, syngeneic in DBA/2 mice, in which they produce a lethal ascites tumor from a single cell, contain a specific antigen which is revealed by immunization with irradiated cells. In DBA/2 animals bearing the tumor this can be eradicated by injection of spleen cells, obtained from allogeneic mice that had been immunized by a single injection with L5178Y cells, at a ratio of 200 spleen cells per L5178Y cell present. Serum as well as spleen cells, was effective if the donor animals were hyperimmunized with the leukemia cells. Spleen cells from allogeneic animals hyperimmunized with normal DBA/2 spleen cells were relatively ineffective against the tumor in vivo, but showed activity when tested against L5178Y cells growing in tissue culture. In vitro studies involving selective neutralization indicate that the antitumor effect of spleen cells from allogeneic mice immunized with L5178Y cells is brought about mainly by a selective reaction against the tumor directed against the tumorspecific antigen. Immune processes directed against the normal DBA/2 transplantation antigens have little effect against the tumor in vivo, but prevent the growth of the lymphoma cells in vitro. Quantitative considerations limit this method of treatment to animals containing between 10⁴ and 10⁵ tumor cells.

¹ This investigation has been supported by grants to the Chester Beatty Research Institute (Institute of Cancer Research: Royal Cancer Hospital) from the Medical Research Council and the British Empire Cancer Campaign and also by Research Grant CA-03188-08 from the National Cancer Institute, USPHS.

Received 8/ 9/65. Revised 1/18/66.