Human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from healthy donors express enhanced natural cytotoxicity to target cells after a brief exposure to mumps virus in vitro. We describe here experiments aiming at elucidating the mechanism of this virus-dependent cytotoxicity. Treatment with proteolytic enzymes resulted in virus particles depleted of one or both kinds of their glycoproteins spikes. Removal of both of these components frrom the virion abrogated their ability to enhance cytotoxicity. This virus-dependent cytotoxicity was significantly but not completely reduced when one of the spike glycoproteins (gp 75, HANA) was removed selectively. Similarly, nucleic-acid-free preparations of the spikes, obtained by detergent treatment of mumps virions, also elicited enhanced cytotoxicity. However, the activity of these preparations was lower than that of untreated virions. Further evidence for the importance of HANA was provided by the use of (F(ab')2 fragments of anti-HANA-specific rabbit antibodies. When these fragments were allowed to react with virus before addition of the virus to PBL, no augmentation of cytolysis was observed. Antibody fragments specific for the other spike protein (gp 61, F) failed to inhibit the virus-dependent enhancement of PBL-mediated cytotoxicity. However, anti-HANA and anti-F blocked this reaction when added directly to the mixture of virus-treated PBL and target cells. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that virus-dependent cytotoxicity requires HANA for anchoring the virus to PBL receptors (and perhaps to bring effector and target cells into closer contact), whereas F may be involved in subsequent events increasing effector cell function.
In prodrug-activated ("suicide") gene therapy, tumor cells are transfected with the gene for an enzyme that converts an inactive prodrug, such as ganciclovir (GCV), to a toxic compound. Transfected cells are killed on administration of GCV, as also are untransfected "bystander" cells. The ability of the dendritic cell stimulatory cytokine Flt3 ligand (Flt3-L) to modulate prodrug-activated gene therapy has been investigated. Transfectants of the murine colon carcinoma MC26 were generated expressing soluble (FLS) and membrane-bound forms of Flt3-L. They were inoculated together with wild-type MC26 cells and cells expressing herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV1) thymidine kinase into BALB/c mice, which were then administered GCV. Expression of Flt3-L or FLS prevented regrowth of tumor in most mice, which was comparable to the effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), while tumors recurred in all mice receiving "suicide" gene therapy alone. Recurring tumor cells were resistant to direct killing by GCV but sensitive to "bystander" killing in vitro. Mice without tumor recurrence were rechallenged with unmodified MC26 cells. Of those mice given transfectants expressing GM-CSF, Flt3-L, or FLS, approximately 50% were immune to rechallenge. These mice also showed cytotoxic and proliferative responses to MC26 cells. These experiments show that both soluble and membrane-bound forms of Flt3-L were able to induce a protective immune response to colon carcinoma cells in a fashion similar to GM-CSF.
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