SUPPRESSION OF GROWTH OF MOUSE-TUMORS BY INTRATUMOR APPLICATION OF JACK BEAN GLOBULIN CONCANAVALIN-A

Normal and T cell deficient (thymectomized, irradiated, reconstituted - TIR) tumor-bearing mice were injected intratumorally with concanaval in A (Con A). All administered doses of Con A (1 to 25 mg per mouse) p otently inhibited tumor growth regardless of tumor type (fibrosarcoma, Ehrlich ascites tumor, B16 melanoma) and mouse strain (CBA, BALB/C, C 57/B1) used. Sporadic generalized toxic effects were observed with dos es exceeding 5 mg. Tumor growth inhibition was comparable in normal an d TIR mice indicating that the possible in vivo mitogenic activation o f T cells by Con A played a minor role in tumor growth suppression, an d that the observed inhibition should be ascribed to interference of C on A with some other aspects of tumor growth.