Inhibition of head and neck tumor cell colony growth by lymphokine activated killer cells

The antiproliferative effect of lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells on head and neck tumor cells has not previously been elucidated. We studied the inhibitory effects of recombinant interleukin-2 activated lymphocytes on tumor colony formation in semisolid agar, using head and neck tumor cells prepared from established tumor cell lines (K562, HT29, HLaC78) and xenografted head and neck squamous cell carcinomas on nude mice (XKN, XLL, XFL, XKF). LAK cells demonstrated a significant inhibitory effect on colony formation. The effects of LAK cells on cultured tumor cell lines were evaluated in a dose dependent manner using effector: target ratios. In addition, the colony formation of tumor cells derived from xenografted nude mouse was inhibited by LAK cells. These results suggest that LAK cells generate an antiproliferative effect on head and neck tumor cells.