Induction of tumor-specific immunity in mice by immunization with reconstituted tumor membrane liposomes containing

L E Westerman1, S C Sund, P Selvaraj

  • 1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.

There has been considerable interest in developing experimental vaccines using genetically modified tumor cells expressing cytokines or costimulatory molecules to enhance immunogenicity. The authors investigated an alternative approach of using protein transfer rather than gene transfer to introduce costimulatory molecules rapidly into tumor membranes. Immunization with a single dose of reconstituted tumor membrane liposomes containing purified recombinant B7-2 (CD86) induced tumor rejection in mice challenged with syngeneic tumors, including the poorly immunogenic AG104A fibrosarcoma. These findings support the possibility that cell-free vaccines composed of reconstituted tumor membrane liposomes containing additional immunostimulatory proteins may offer a practical and safe alternative to genetically modified tumor cells for treating human cancer.

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