Recombinant vaccinia virus expressing cytokine GM-CSF as tumor vaccine

The efficacy of a recombinant vaccinia virus (rvv-GM-CSF) expressing the gr anulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) as tumor vaccine wa s evaluated in the murine B16-F10 melanoma model. The vaccine was prepared by infection of irradiated tumor cells with rvv-GM-CSF. Control vaccine was B-16 cells infected with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing Escherich ia coli beta-galactosidase (rvv-lacZ), Pre-vaccination of naive C57BL/6 mic e later inoculated with tumor cells and treatment of mice bearing armors wi th GM-CSF vaccine inhibited tumor. development and prolonged survival. Lung metastasis of B-16 was also inhibited by treatment with GM-CSF vaccine. Th e vaccine effects appeared to be tumor cell specific. The efficacy of the v accine was comparable to a retroviral vaccine (MFG-muGM-CSF) in this system . The vaccine was also effective when rvv-GM-CSF was directly injected into the tumor: These data suggest that this vaccine approach has potential for use in cancer treatment, especially for patients with easily accessible tu mors.