Preliminary study on mouse interleukin-21 application in tumor gene therapy

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Molecular Biology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a T cell-derived cytokine with structural similarities to IL-2, IL-4, and IL-15.
• IL-21's potential immunoregulatory and antitumor activities require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a mouse IL-21 (mIL-21) recombinant plasmid.
• To evaluate the antitumor efficacy of the mIL-21 recombinant plasmid in vivo.

Main Methods:

• Mouse IL-21 cDNA was amplified and cloned into a pcDNA3.1 vector.
• Recombinant plasmid was transfected into Sp2/0 cells, and expression was confirmed.
• In vitro assays assessed T cell and NK cell proliferation and cytotoxicity.
• In vivo studies involved subcutaneous injection into tumor-bearing mice, measuring tumor growth, immune cell activity (CTL, NK, LAK), and serum IFN-gamma levels.

Main Results:

• mIL-21 was successfully expressed and demonstrated in vitro enhancement of T and B cell proliferation and NK cell cytotoxicity.
• In vivo administration of mIL-21 significantly boosted CTL and NK cell activity and serum IFN-gamma levels.
• A notable suppression of tumor growth was observed in mice treated with the mIL-21 recombinant plasmid.
• LAK cell activity showed no significant alteration.

Conclusions:

• The mIL-21 recombinant plasmid exhibits significant antitumor efficacy.
• mIL-21 enhances key immune responses, including CTL and NK cell activity.
• Recombinant plasmid-based mIL-21 delivery represents a potential strategy for effective tumor gene therapy.