Treatment with Imuvert aborts development of chloroleukemia in newborn rats

We have previously demonstrated that the successful transfer of rat chloroleukemia (Mia C51) cells to newborn rats is related to the host's inability to generate adequate levels of differentiation factor (DF). Thus, when the appropriate amount of DF was injected into rats bearing MIA C51 cells, the development of chloroleukemia was aborted. In the present study, we provide evidence that stimulation of endogenous differentiation activity (DA) production by the administration of a biologic response modifier (Imuvert) will like-wise abort the development of chloroleukemia. Imuvert at 50 micrograms/ml had no direct effect on growth, viability, or differentiation of MIA C51 cells. However, when monocytes from young rats or adult rats were stimulated with Imuvert in vivo or in vitro, there was significant increase in DA production. Treatment of young rats with Imuvert aborted the development of chloroleukemia from transplanted MIA C51 cells. It is concluded that stimulation of endogenous DA production may provide a potentially useful approach in the treatment of leukemia.