Prevention and Treatment of Spontaneous Mammary Carcinoma with Dendritic Tumor Fusion Cell Vaccine

摘要

In the present study, the prevention of cancer development by vaccination with fusion cells was evaluated In a genetically engineered murine model which develops spontaneous mammary carcinomas. The mice (MMT) were produced by crossing MUC1 transgenic mice with strains (MT) that express oncogene polyoma middle T antigen driven by the mouse mammary tumor virus promoter. All MMT (n=23) and MT (n=31) mice In the control groups developed mammary carcinomas within the age of 10-12 weeks and sacrificed after the appearance of larger tumors. In contrast. Immunization with fusion cells In the early (<15 days old, n=18) and late premalignant stage (16-30 days old, n-42) provides 72% and 67% protection at age of 20 weeks, respectively, in MMT mice vaccinated with FC/MT, and 50% and 41% protection at age of 20 weeks, respectively in MT mice vaccinated with FC/MT. Those mice survived at least 20 weeks free of tumor grossly and microscopically. Furthermore, the tumor appearance was significantly delayed for those mice developed tumors. The CTL activity was consistent with the in vivo results. We conclude that immunization with fusion cells in the premalignant stage of mammary carcinoma can prevent or delay the tumor development in a model genetically predisposed to cancer. The findings further advances the notion that fusion cells can induce antitumor immunity against multiple tumor antigens including the oncogene product which transforms the normal cells to cancer cells.