The tumor protection effect of high-frequency administration of whole tumor cell vaccine and enhanced efficacy by the protein component from Agrocybe aegerita.

Whole tumor cell vaccines have been widely studied and elicits limited immune responses because of the poor immunogenicity. In the present study, we discovered that high-frequency administration of irradiated whole tumor cell vaccine triggered rejection of tumor cells (90% or 100% of the mice that were vaccinated with irradiated H22 cells or S180 respectively were protected), and provided cross-protection and long-term anti-tumor immunity in BALB/c mouse models. The antitumor activity required CD4+, CD8+ T cells and macrophage that was proved in the nude mice and cell depletion mouse models. The adoptive transfer experiment suggested that repeated whole tumor cell vaccination successfully stimulated the anti-tumor response by activation of the immune cells. A high immunization frequency within a short period of time and the presence of glycosylated molecules and nucleic acids on the surface of intact tumor cells were crucial for the successful prevention of tumor growth by whole tumor cell vaccines. Moreover, Yt, the protein component from fungus Agrocybe aegerita, increased whole tumor cell vaccine-mediated tumor rejection and cross-protection effect. These data indicated that the frequency of administration of whole tumor cell vaccines was of critical importance for the efficacy, which needed to be integrated into vaccine strategies for producing potential vaccines.