This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bradley, E. C. Articles by Mier, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bradley, E. C. Articles by Mier, J.

Cell-mediated Inhibition of Tumor Colony Formation in Agarose by Resting and Interleukin 2-stimulated Human Lymphocytes

Science and Technology Division, Bristol-Myers Company [J. J. C.], and SUNY-Upstate Medical Center [E. C. B., B. P., J. M. H., T. D.], Syracuse, New York 13201; Division of Hematology-Oncology, New England Medical Center Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, [M. A., J. M.]; and CETUS Corporation, Emeryville, California 94608 [E. C. B., B. F. I.]

Human nonadherent peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from nonimmunized donors were preincubated for 18 h in medium alone or medium containing the lymphokine interleukin 2 and subsequently cocultured with tumor cells derived from malignant tumor cell lines or from fresh human tumors. The cell suspensions were subsequently inoculated into agarose; 14 days later, new tumor colony formation was determined. Although the different tumor cells displayed a wide range of sensitivity to the PBMC, in each instance, the number of colonies formed by the tumor cells exposed to the PBMC was consistently reduced relative to that of control cells. The inhibitory effect on the colony-forming cells was especially pronounced with PBMC preincubated with interleukin-2 and was dependent on the ratio of tumor cells to PBMC in the culture. This assay system provides an alternative to the standard ⁵¹Cr release assays in assessing the immunomodulatory effects of lymphokines and in quantitating the cytolytic or cytostatic activity of various effector cells against neoplastic stem cells from established cell lines and from heterogeneous cell preparations derived from fresh human tumors.

¹ To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

² Recipient of support in part from NIH Grant CA 30894.

Received 3/26/84. Revised 12/26/84. Accepted 12/31/84.