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Induction of new antigenic properties on DTIC-treated L1210 clones

O Marelli1, P Franco, G Canti

  • 1Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Università di Milano, Italia.

Tumori
|August 31, 1988
PubMed

Insights

Dacarbazine (DTIC) treatment of mouse leukemia L1210 does not select pre-existing tumor cell clones. Instead, DTIC modifies tumor cells, inducing new antigens that trigger an immune response.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cancer Research
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Dacarbazine (DTIC) treatment of mouse leukemia L1210 induces new antigens on tumor cells.
  • These induced antigens are genetically transmissible and lead to tumor rejection by syngeneic hosts.
  • The mechanism by which DTIC induces antigenicity remains unclear, with debate on whether it selects pre-existing clones or induces new antigenic determinants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether DTIC selects pre-existing immunogenic clones or induces new antigenic determinants.
  • To determine the number of antigens induced by DTIC treatment.
  • To characterize the antigenic properties of DTIC-modified tumor cells and their interaction with the immune system.

Main Methods:

  • Cloning of L1210 leukemia cell line in vitro.
  • In vivo treatment of cloned leukemia cells with DTIC.
  • Testing the immunogenicity of DTIC-treated clones through rejection by syngeneic hosts.
  • Activation and testing of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) against DTIC-modified clones.
  • Recloning of a DTIC-modified subline (L4/DTIC) and characterization of its subclones.

Main Results:

  • All DTIC-treated clones exhibited new antigenic properties, leading to rejection by syngeneic hosts.
  • Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) activated against one DTIC-modified clone could recognize and lyse relevant target cells.
  • Recloning of a DTIC-modified clone (L4/DTIC) revealed that two out of six subclones were rejected by hosts.
  • CTLs specific for these rejected subclones could lyse other DTIC-modified clones to varying degrees.
  • The degree of susceptibility to CTL lysis did not correlate with the in vivo immune response capability.

Conclusions:

  • DTIC treatment antigenically modifies tumor cells rather than selecting pre-existing immunogenic clones.
  • The induced antigenicity in cloned tumor lines is attributed to common antigens shared among treated cells.
  • DTIC induces a consistent antigenic modification across a cloned tumor line, leading to immune recognition.

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