BAT mAb induces lymphopoiesis in nude mice

The athymic nude mouse provides a powerful tool in the study of human tumors, as it enables growth of human tumors due to deficiencies in T cell functions. However, deficiencies in T cell functions might limit research on efficacy of immune modulators in cancer immunotherapy. BAT mAb mediates its anti-cancer activity through modulation of the immune system that involves both NK and T cells. We analyzed lymphocyte populations in blood 5 and 14 days following the injection of BAT antibody alone or following engraftment of human colon carcinoma cells. Our results demonstrate that BAT injection induced lymphopoiesis in the nude mouse. Percentage of CD3 cells increased up to 24%, CD4 cells up to 20% but no increase was found in CD8 T cells in BAT-injected nude mice. Injection of BAT 12 days post-tumor engraftment propagated CD3, CD4 and CD8 cells seen in the blood 5 days later but not seen in the blood 14 days post-BAT injection. It is possible that this decrease is associated with migration of the lymphocytes from the blood to the tumor sites in the livers. The percentage of CD56-positive NK cells increased (up to 18%) by BAT administration alone or post-tumor injection. The presence of tumors alone did not induce lymphopoiesis in the nude mice. Propagation and lymphopoiesis by BAT mAb might have future clinical implications.