Transfer factor in immunotherapy of experimental melanoma

Summary. The article presents experimental data of application of xenogeneic transfer factor (TF) that is specific to antigens of melanoma B16 (MB16) for preparation which it has been used the method of intraperitoneal immunization of animals-donors (rats) by its cells followed by recovering of melanoma-specific TF (TF-S) from extract of sensitized splenic lymphocytes. On murine model of passive metastasis of MB16 it was established that prevention injection of TF-S (3 days prior to intravenous inoculation MB16) reproduces a protective antimetastatic effect, which was shown in decrease of cases of development of metastases, of number and size of pulmonary metastases and in high index of metastasis inhibition. Immunotherapy by TF-S of mice that was started on the third day after the intravenous inoculation of MB16 cells significantly prolongs life of these animals compared with control. However on the murine model of subcutaneous growth of MB16 it has not been detected impact TF-S on tumour growth and survival of the animals that points to the need to use TF in adjuvant mode. At the studying of immune properties of TF in vitro and in vivo it was established that the xenogeneic TF-S is capable to transfer immune reactivity on antigens of MB16 to immune cells of intact animals. Thus, the transfer of tumour-specific immunity using FP is a perspective direction of immunotherapy of melanoma patients. Application of TF-S in treatment of these patients may be one of the ways to increase its efficiency.