[Immunomodulation by antitumor antibiotics]

Antibiotics exhibiting immunomodulatory activities were found among antitumor antibiotics. These antibiotics had antileukemic activity. Neothramycin and mazethramycin, which are classified as anthramycin-group antibiotics, activated macrophages so that they became antitumor effector cells. Aclacinomycin and oxanosine inhibited generation of suppressor cells in tumor-bearing mice and oxanosine enhanced antitumor effector cells. Therapy using spergualin produced specific antitumor immunity in cured mice. The immunomodulatory activities of auromomycin and bactobolin were also reported.