NEUTROPHIL ELASTASE INHIBITOR (ONO-5046-NA) INHIBITS THE GROWTH OF HUMAN LUNG-CANCER CELL-LINES TRANSPLANTED INTO SEVERE COMBINED IMMUNODEFICIENCY (SCID) MICE

We examined the in vivo effects of ONO-5046 . Na, a specific neutrophi l elastase (NE) inhibitor, on the growth of 2 non-small cell lung canc er cell lines, EBC-1 and PC-3, transplanted into severe combined immun odeficiency (scid) mice. The daily intraperitoneal injection of ONO-50 46 . Na (50 mg/kg/day) completely suppressed the tumor growth in EBC-1 , a human squamous carcinoma cell line which produces immunoreactive N E. By contrast, in PC-3, a human adenocarcinoma cell line which is una ble to produce immunoreactive NE, the ONO-5046 . Na treatment caused d elayed growth of the tumor. These findings suggest that ONO-5046 . Na may have a clinical role in preventing the growth of human non-small c ell lung cancer.