Pyrimidinones: inducers of NK cell activity and antitumor immunity

We have shown that pyrimidinone molecule, 2 amino-5-iodo-6-phenyl-4-pyrimidinone (AIPP) after regional administration, displayed both prophylactic and therapeutic effect on ascitic mammary adenocarcinoma, ACA-755. The antitumor effect was mediated by natural killer (NK) cells, since depletion of this lymphocyte population resulted in abrogation of AIPP-induced tumor resistance. This observation confirms the role of NK cells in antitumor immunity and suggests that AIPP may be therapeutically beneficial also in man.