Claims
- 1. A method of inhibiting or preventing the growth of tumor cells in a patient comprising the stimulation of that patient's immune response against the tumor cells by administering to said patient at a site other than an active tumor site a composition comprising tumor antigens and cytokine-expressing cells genetically modified to express a cytokine gene product, wherein said cytokine-expressing cells are not tumor cells, and wherein said administering stimulates a systemic active immune response in said patient, and wherein said systemic active immune response results in inhibition of growth of said tumor cells.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein tumor cells previously isolated from said patient provide the tumor antigens.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cytokine gene product is selected from the group consisting of interleukin- 1, interleukin-2, interleukin-3, interleukin-4, interleukin-5, interleukin-6, and gamma-interferon.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the cytokine gene product is interleukin-2.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said cytokine-expressing cells are genetically modified to express a cytokine gene product by recombinant methods.
- 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the cytokine gene is present in an expression vector.
- 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said expression vector additionally contains a suicide gene.
- 8. The method of claim 5 wherein the cytokine-expressing cells are generated from fibroblasts and antigen-presenting cells.
- 9. A method for enhancing a patient's systemic active immune response to a tumor, comprising the steps of:
- a. isolating fibroblasts from said patient;
- b. culturing said fibroblasts in vitro;
- c. transducing said fibroblasts with a retroviral expression vector containing the gene coding for IL-2, wherein said IL-2 is expressed and secreted by said transduced fibroblasts;
- d. isolating tumor cells from said patient;
- e. preparing a single-cell suspension of the tumor cells;
- f. treating the tumor cells with an agent which inhibits the ability of the tumor cells to proliferate; and
- g. administering to said patient said treated tumor cells and said fibroblasts, which express IL-2 at a level sufficient to enhance the systemic active immune response in said patient but low enough to avoid substantial systemic toxicity, and wherein said treated tumor cells and said fibroblasts are at a site other than an active tumor site.
- 10. The method of claim 9 wherein said fibroblasts are further modified to express a suicide gene.
- 11. A composition for increasing a patient's immune response to tumor antigens comprising tumor antigens and cytokine-expressing cells genetically modified to express a cytokine gene product, wherein said cytokine-expressing cells are not tumor cells.
- 12. The composition of claim 11 wherein the cytokine gene product is selected from the group consisting of interleukin-1, interleukin-2, interleukin-3, interleukin-4, interleukin-5, interleukin-6, and gamma interferon.
- 13. The composition of claim 11 wherein the cytokine gene product is interleukin-2.
- 14. The composition of claim 11 wherein said cytokine gene product is expressed at a level sufficient to stimulate the immune response in said patient but low enough to avoid substantial systemic toxicities.
- 15. The method of claim 9 wherein said retroviral expression vector has a promotor causing sustained secretion of IL-2.
- 16. The method of claim 15 wherein said retroviral expression vector causes the secretion of about two nanograms to about 160 nanograms of IL-2 per 10.sup.6 cells per day.
- 17. The method of claim 10 wherein said suicide gene is the gene coding for herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase.
- 18. The method of claim 10 wherein the suicide function of said suicide gene is activated after stimulation of the patient's immune system.
- 19. A method of inhibiting or preventing the growth of carcinoma tumor cells in a patient comprising the stimulation of that patient's immune response against the carcinoma tumor cells by administering to said patient at a site other than an active tumor site a composition comprising carcinoma tumor antigens and cytokine-expressing cells genetically modified to express a cytokine gene product, wherein said cytokine-expressing cells are not tumor cells, and wherein said administering stimulates a systemic active immune response in said patient, and wherein said systemic active immune response results in inhibition of growth of said carcinoma tumor cells.
- 20. The method of claim 19, wherein said carcinoma tumor cell antigens are colorectal tumor cells.
- 21. The method of claim 20, wherein said cytokine gene product is IL-2.
- 22. A composition for increasing a patient's immune response to carcinoma tumor cells, comprising carcinoma tumor cell antigens and cytokine-expressing cells genetically modified to express a cytokine gene product, wherein said cytokine-expressing cells are not tumor cells.
- 23. The composition of claim 22, wherein said carcinoma tumor cell antigens are colorectal tumor cells.
- 24. The composition of claim 23, wherein said cytokine gene product is IL-2.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/863,641, filed Apr. 3, 1992, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/781,356, filed on Oct. 25, 1991, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/720,872, filed on Jun. 25, 1991, now abandoned, both of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
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WO9205262 |
Feb 1992 |
EPX |
Continuations (1)
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Date |
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863641 |
Apr 1992 |
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Continuation in Parts (2)
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781356 |
Oct 1991 |
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720872 |
Jun 1991 |
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