Ms. Topp et al., INTERLEUKIN-4 INHIBITS GROWTH OF A HUMAN LUNG-TUMOR CELL-LINE IN-VITRO AND HAS THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY AGAINST XENOGRAFTS OF THIS CELL-LINE IN-VIVO, International journal of oncology, 3(2), 1993, pp. 167-170
In the present study we report that recombinant human (rh) interleukin
4 (IL-4) has direct, dose-dependent antiproliferative effects on the
human lung cancer cell line CCL 185 in vitro as measured by a human tu
mor cloning assay (HTCA). The biological response of the tumor cells t
o rhIL-4 is correlated with expression of specific binding sites for h
uman (h) IL-4 on the cell surface. Furthermore, we have xenotransplant
ed CCL 185 into BALB/c nu/nu mice. Subsequently, the mice were treated
for 17 days with twice 0.5 mg/m2 rhIL-4 or control vehicle subcutaneo
usly per day. Treatment with rhIL-4 yielded a significant inhibition o
f tumor growth versus control. Histology of the tumors in both groups
showed no marked infiltration of the tumors with murine hematopoietic
and lymphocytic cells consistent with the species specificity of IL-4.
We conclude that rhIL-4 has direct antiproliferative effects on the g
rowth of a human lung tumor cell line in vitro and in vivo which toget
her with its regulatory effects on various effector cell populations m
akes this cytokine a possible candidate for experimental cancer treatm
ent.