Induction of Tumor-Specific Transplantation Immunity in Hamsters with Cell Fractions from Adenovirus and SV40 Tumor Cells 1

Summary

The specific induction of transplantation immunity against adenovirus 31-and SV40-induced hamster tumor cell challenge employing either a crude membrane fraction of homologous adenovirus 31 tumor cells or SV40 tumor cell fragments is described. In each case immunity was equivalent or superior to that induced by whole, irradiated tumor cells previously described to contain TSTA, or to that induced by vaccination of mature hamsters with the live virus. Whole tumor homogenate of adenovirus 31 hamster cells, from which the membrane fraction was obtained failed to induce TSTA immunity. The possibility exists that a masking or enhancing component is present in the homogenate to interfere with TSTA immunity induction or detection.

Addendum. Hamsters immunized with SV40 tumor cell ghost lysates were uniformly resistant to an initial cell challenge as shown in Table III. Several months later the survivors were challenged a second time and 42% of the hamsters developed tumors by day 50. One hundred percent of normal control hamsters similarly challenged developed tumors at this time.

The authors are grateful to Mrs. Betty W. Harrell of Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the skillfully prepared electron micrographs of the cell ghosts, and to E. L. Candler, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, for technical assistance.