Complete suppression of in vivo growth of human leukemia cells by specific immunotoxins: nude mouse models.

In this study, immunotoxins containing monoclonal anti-human T-cell leukemia antibodies are shown to be capable of completely suppressing the tumor growth of human T-cell leukemia cells in vivo without any overt undesirable toxicity. These immunotoxins were prepared by conjugating ricin A chain (RA) with our monoclonal antibodies, SN1 and SN2, directed specifically to the human T-cell leukemia cell surface antigens TALLA and GP37, respectively. We have shown that these monoclonal antibodies are highly specific for human T-cell leukemia cells and do not react with various normal cells including normal T and B cells, thymocytes, and bone marrow cells. Ascitic and solid human T-cell leukemia cell tumors were generated in nude mice. The ascitic tumor was generated by transplanting Ichikawa cells (a human T-cell leukemia cell line) i.p. into nude mice, whereas the solid tumor was generated by transplanting s.c. MOLT-4 cells (a human T-cell leukemia cell line) and x-irradiated human fibrosarcoma cells into x-irradiated nude mice. To investigate the efficacy of specific immunotoxins in suppressing the in vivo growth of the ascitic tumor, we divided 40 nude mice that were injected with Ichikawa cells into four groups. Each group of 10 mice was injected with one of the following mixtures: 40 micrograms of purified control mouse IgG [IgG1(kappa)] (group 1), 40 micrograms of control RA conjugate (group 2), 20 micrograms of purified SN1 antibody [IgG1(kappa)] and 20 micrograms of purified SN2 antibody [IgG1(kappa)] (group 3), or 20 micrograms of SN1-RA and 20 micrograms of SN2-RA (group 4). Mice in groups 1 and 2 formed large ascitic tumors, and died 5.8-7.0 weeks after the transplantation. Group 3 mice also formed large ascitic tumors and died 6.4-7.8 weeks after the transplantation. However, none of the mice in group 4 that were treated with SN1-RA and SN2-RA showed any signs of a tumor or undesirable toxic effects for the 20 weeks that they were followed after the transplantation; these mice were indistinguishable from healthy control nude mice that were not injected with Ichikawa cells. Treatment with SN1-RA plus SN2-RA completely suppressed solid tumor growth in 4 of 10 nude mice carrying solid tumors and partially suppressed the tumor growth in the remaining 6 nude mice. These results strongly suggest that SN1-RA and SN2-RA may be useful for clinical treatment.