Human allogeneic responses: lymphokine requirement for the in vitro generation of specific cytotoxic responses to a malignant melanoma cell line.

Requirements for the in vitro generation of specific cytotoxic responses by human T-lymphocytes to an allogeneic malignant melanoma cell line (MM-170) have been examined. The responder T-lymphocytes used were isolated from peripheral blood and were essentially free of non-specific cytotoxic effector cells and their precursors. MM-170 alone was found to be an inadequate stimulator of cytotoxic responses. Stimulation did occur in cultures with both MM-170 and an Interleukin-2 containing human lymphokine supernatant. The cytotoxic effector cells generated were specific for MM-170 when the MM-170 cells used for stimulation had been metabolically inactivated by glutaraldehyde treatment.