Oncology 32: 324- 326 (1975)

Inducing Tumor Immunity by Specific Tumor Antigens Justin V. Schwind Katherine Hammond Cancer Research Foundation

Key Words. Tumor immunity • Specific tumor antigens Abstract. A handy experimental model for testing anti-tumor agents and for studying tumor immunity is the use of Walker 256 carcinosarcoma in Long-Evans hooded rats. This neoplasm is so easily transplantable and growth is so rapid that a large series of animals can be studied in a relatively short period of time.

Various methods of tumor transplantation were tried to find an acceptable model in which anti-tumor agents could be tested. Tumors transplanted to the body of the animal are difficult to evaluate as to size and as to the time suitable for removing the tumor before it kills the host. In experiments, attempting to prove the hypothesis of neoplasms being a form of evolutionary regression (1), it was found that the Walker 256 carcinosarcoma is a very useful tumor. It is easily transplantable in Long-Evans hooded rats, with practically complete success in graft acceptance and growth in animals under 6 weeks of age (78 successful tumor growths out of 80 attempts). When the tumor is implanted on the tail, growth is easily observed. The tissue of this type of tumor is friable and soft enough to place pieces of the tumor in a syringe, and with a 21 gauge needle, a tumor fragment can be injected under the skin of the tail. In less than a week a noticeable bulbous enlargement of the tail at the injection site is apparent (rig. 1). If the tail is amputated 1 week

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Fig. 1. Inducing cancer immunity in rats by a transplanted tumor on its tail which is removed before it kills the host, leaving the animal immune to further tumor transplants (Long-Evans hooded rats). Fig. 2. Cancer-immune animals. They will no longer accept grafts of tumor (Walker 256 carcinosarcoma) after their tumor-bearing tail is amputated.

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Schwind 325

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after transplantation proximal to the tumor, the animal lives and remains immune to further attempts at transplantation of this tumor in 100% of 80 cases (fig. 2). Controls with mere amputation of the tail showed no tumor resis­ tance. If the tumor is allowed to continue its growth, the host dies within 3 weeks. Experiments using frozen tumor, as well as experiments using dried tumor tissue failed to induce tumor growth, and also failed to induce immunity to fresh tumor implants. There have been many attempts reported in the literature to create tumor immunity by the use of specific tumor antigens. Andervont (2) reported the induction of immunity against the transplantable Sarcoma 180 by removing the tumor just before it killed the host. The transplantation of tumors for the induction of immunity to the tail seems to be an improvement of the technique.

References 1 2

Schwind, J.V.: Cancer: regressive evolution? Preliminary report of a new hypothesis. Oncology 29: 172-180(1974). Andervont, H.B.: Studies on immunity induced by mouse sarcoma 180. Publ. Hlth Rep., Wash. 4 7: 1859-1877 (1932).

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Justin V. Schwind, MD, 417 West Pueblo Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (USA)

Inducing tumor immunity by specific tumor antigens.

A handy experimental model for testing anti-tumor agents and for studying tumor immunity is the use of Walker 256 carcinosarcoma in Long-Evans hooded ...
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