FLT3 ligand administration inhibits tumor growth in murine melanoma and lymphoma

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 58; no. 3; pp. 380 - 383
• Main Authors: ESCHE, C, SUBBOTIN, V. M, MALISZEWSKI, C, LOTZE, M. T, SHURIN, M. R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01-02-1998
• Subjects: Animals; Antineoplastic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Dendritic Cells - drug effects; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Immunity, Cellular - drug effects; Immunologic Factors - pharmacology; Immunologic Factors - therapeutic use; Immunotherapy; Lymphoma, T-Cell - immunology; Lymphoma, T-Cell - therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Melanoma, Experimental - immunology; Melanoma, Experimental - therapy; Membrane Proteins - pharmacology; Membrane Proteins - therapeutic use; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neoplasm Transplantation; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Recombinant Proteins - therapeutic use; Skin Neoplasms - immunology; Skin Neoplasms - therapy; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Dendritic cell; Flt3 ligand; Rodentia; Malignant hemopathy; Malignant tumor; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Treatment; Mouse; Lymphoproliferative syndrome; Animal; Immunotherapy; Established cell line; Malignant melanoma; Malignant lymphoma; Subcutaneous administration; Tumor cell
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445

Successful treatment of melanoma and lymphoma may result from the induction of specific antitumor immunity. Dendritic cells (DCs) are powerful antigen-presenting cells and show a remarkable capacity to stimulate antigen-specific T-cell responses. Administration of FLT3 ligand (FL) results in a reversible accumulation of functionally active DCs in both lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues. Therefore, we evaluated the possible antitumor effect of FL in murine melanoma (B16 and CL8-1) and lymphoma (EL-4) models. In all experiments, tumor growth was significantly inhibited by FL administration. Analysis by immunohistochemistry revealed an increase in the DC accumulation within B16 and EL-4 tumors after treatment with FL. No change was observed for CL8-1 melanoma. These data suggest a potential role for FL in the immunotherapy of malignant skin tumors and possible DC involvement in this effect.