Treatment of cancer using Corynebacterium parvum: similarity of two preparations in four animal tumor models.

The tumor inhibitory properties of Corynebacterium parvum obtained from Burroughs Wellcome (CP-BW) or from Institut Merieux (CP-IM) were compared in four animal tumor models: the CaD2 mouse mammary carcinoma treated by intravenous (I.V.) or intratumoral (I.T.) injection of C. parvum; 13762A rat mammary adenocarcinoma treated by I.T. injection of C. parvum either alone or combined with excision of the primary tumor; LSTRA murine leukemia and line 10 cavian hepatoma, each treated with vaccines containing irradiated tumor cells and C. parvum. Both preparations were active against each tumor. In most comparisons the potency of the two materials was not different, but in a few cases the CP-BW was effective at a lower dose than was the CP-IM. These results demonstrate the versatility of C. parvum for use in a variety of immunotherapy procedures and show that the potencies of the two major types of C. parvum are very similar.