Costimulation with B7-1, IL-6, and IL-12 is sufficient for primary generation of murine antitumor cytolytic T lymphocytes in vitro.

The requirements for generating CD8+ CTLs against the mastocytoma P815 were first defined by using an allogeneic mixed lymphocyte tumor culture (MLTC). Both the expansion of effector lymphocytes and the acquisition of lytic activity were dependent on the presence of accessory cells, but not CD4+ lymphocytes. Several factors were examined for their ability to replace accessory cell function. Expression of B7-1 by P815 was sufficient to induce IL-2 production by CD8+ cells, but substantial proliferation was achieved only if IL-6 was provided as well. Although IL-12 had little effect on the net proliferation of developing effector cells, it increased specific lytic activity 10-fold, acted synergistically with B7-1 in induction of IFN-gamma production during primary stimulation, and resulted in a shift toward a Th1 cytokine profile following secondary stimulation. These costimulatory factors were then studied in a primary syngeneic MLTC by using splenocytes from nonimmunized DBA/2 mice, an approach that had never before succeeded in generating specific CTLs. The combination of B7-1, IL-6, and IL-12 was sufficient to induce P815-specific CTL activity after a 5-day MLTC, which was expanded optimally following secondary stimulation in the presence of B7-1, IL-2, and IL-7. The irrelevant syngeneic tumor L1210, constructed to express B7-1 and the P815-derived tumor Ag gene P1A, also generated CTLs that lysed the parental P815. The combination of B7-1, IL-6, and IL-12 should be useful in the derivation of other tumor-specific CTLs in vitro, and may constitute the optimal stimuli for rapid proliferation and differentiation of helper-independent, tumor-specific CTLs in vivo.