GROWTH-INHIBITING EFFECT OF INTRATUMORAL RECOMBINANT HUMAN TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR ON AN EXPERIMENTAL-MODEL OF PRIMITIVE NEUROECTODERMAL TUMOR

The effect of intratumoral administration of recombinant human tumor n ecrosis factor on an experimental model of primitive neuroectodermal n eoplasia was studied. A clear inhibition of tumor growth was achieved by immunotherapy that consisted in intralesion injections of 100 mu g of tumor necrosis factor daily, the first three days of each week, for a period of four weeks. At this time, tumor size was 2.21 +/- 0.66 cm (2) (mean +/- standard deviation) in the treated group, versus 7.62 +/ - 0.43 cm(2) in the control group. These data support previous studies on the influence of tumor necrosis factor on the development of ethyl -nitrosourea-induced tumors, and suggest the potential usefulness of t his cytokine in human primitive neuroectodermal neoplasms.