Inhibition of lung metastasis by adoptive immunotherapy using Iscador

Adoptive immunotherapy using spleen cells activated with Iscador was found to inhibit tumour growth significantly (P<0.001). Metastatic B16F10 tumour bearing animals treated with a single dose of spleen cells activated with I scador (in vitro) showed 100% inhibition of tumour nodule formation on 21st day. Single injection of splenocytes isolated from mice treated with Iscad or inhibited the tumour nodule formation by 93.8%. Animals treated with in vivo and in vitro activated spleen cells along with Iscador had an increase in life span of 119% and 81% respectively. Treatment of animals with low d ose of Iscador after adoptive immunotherapy further augmented the life span . Animals which underwent adoptive immunotherapy showed significantly reduc ed lung collagen hydroxyproline (9.8 mu g/mg protein) and serum sialic acid (24.6 mu g/ml serum)levels compared to control tumour bearing animals with increased levels of lung hydroxyproline (26.95 mu g/mg protein) and serum sialic acid levels (151.3 mu g/ml serum). Serum gamma -glutamyl transpeptid ase levels were found to be significantly reduced in the group of animals t reated with Iscador and Iscador activated splenocytes (16.6 +/- 2.3 nmol P- nitroaniline released /ml serum). Group of animals treated with Iscador act ivated splenocytes alone also showed significantly reduced serum gamma - gl utamyl transpeptidase levels (17.3 +/- 10 nmol P-nitroaniline released /ml serum) compared to control tumour bearing animals (91 +/- 12 nmol P-nitroan iline released /ml serum).