Comparative growth of human tumors in pharmacologically immunosuppressed, immune-deprived, cyclosporin A-treated and nude mice.

The growth of three human tumor xenografts, namely an Ewing sarcoma, a colon carcinoma and an osteosarcoma, was compared in nude and conditioned mice. Conditioning protocols included (1) immune deprivation (thymectomy, lethal irradiation and cytosine arabinoside pretreatment); (2) immunosuppression with procarbazine, cyclophosphamide and antithymocyte serum; and (3) continuous administration of cyclosporin A. Similar tumor growth was seen in nude mice, immune-deprived mice and mice treated with the medium and high-dose immunosuppressive protocol. Cyclosporin A allowed only very modest tumor growth. In the main comparative experiment with the Ewing sarcoma and the colon carcinoma, overall survival was lowest with nude mice (17%), higher with immune-deprived mice (61%) and best with immunosuppressed mice (81 and 87%). For the screening of anticancer agents the immunosuppressive protocol consisting of synergistic procarbazine, cyclophosphamide and antithymocyte serum may be added to the already available models. It allows adequate tumor growth with good animal survival and does not require operative procedures and irradiation.