Antitumor effect of recombinant human interleukin 1 alpha against murine syngeneic tumors.

Interleukin 1 (IL1) has been suggested to have antitumor activity but there is no clear-cut evidence of an in vivo antitumor effect of pure IL1. In this work, the antitumor effect of purified recombinant human IL1 alpha (rHu-IL1 alpha) was assessed on murine tumors transplanted intradermally in syngeneic female mice. rHu-IL1 alpha inhibited the growth of Meth A sarcoma in BALB/c mice, B16 melanoma in C57BL/6 mice and colon 26 adenocarcinoma in CDF1 mice, as well as the spontaneous pulmonary metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma in BDF1 mice, at intratumoral (itu), intramuscular (im), and/or intravenous (iv) doses ranging from 1 to 30 micrograms/mouse. The antitumor effect of rHu-IL1 alpha was generally dose- and route-dependent, being highest by the itu route, followed by the im and iv routes in that order. Palpable 7-day-old Meth A sarcoma was completely regressed in some mice given rHu-IL1 alpha itu once at doses of 10-30 micrograms/mouse (cured ratio; 71-100%), once a day for 3 days at doses of 3-30 micrograms/mouse (57-86%) or once a day for 7 days at doses of 1-10 micrograms/mouse (14-100%). Palpable 7-day-old B16 melanoma was also regressed completely in some mice given seven itu doses of 10-30 micrograms/mouse (14-86%). One-day-old Meth A sarcoma was more sensitive to rHu-IL1 alpha than 7-day-old Meth A sarcoma. There was no macroscopic sign of inflammation at the site of injection of rHu-IL1 alpha. These results show that rHu-IL1 alpha has antitumor activity in vivo and is worthy of further study as a potential antitumor agent.