Enhanced cell-mediated tumor killing in patients immunized with human monoclonal antiidiotypic antibody 105AD7.

A human antiidiotypic monoclonal antibody (105AD7) has been shown to induce antitumor cellular responses in animals and appears to prolong survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer without associated toxicity. Proliferative leukocyte responses to the targeted tumor antigen gp72 were observed in these patients and plasma interleukin 2 levels were increased following immunization. Autologous tumor tissue was not available in these patients, so antitumor cytotoxicity could not be measured. This issue has now been addressed in an adjuvant clinical study in primary rectal cancer patients. Six patients with rectal cancer were immunized preoperatively with 105AD7. Peripheral blood lymphocytes taken prior to immunization were tested against tumor cells extracted from biopsies also obtained prior to immunization or from natural killer (NK)-sensitive target cells. Cryopreserved lymphocytes taken before and after tumor immunization, fresh peripheral blood lymphocytes taken immediately prior to surgery, and lymphocytes from tumor-draining lymph nodes were tested against autologous cells from the resected specimen or NK-sensitive target cells. Significant killing of autologous tumor cells, which was not due to NK activity, was seen with cryopreserved lymphocytes or lymph node cells of three patients at 1-2 weeks postimmunization with 105AD7 but not on pretreatment biopsies. Enhanced NK activity was seen 2-3 weeks postimmunization in 3 of 6 patients. These results indicate that 105AD7 human monoclonal antibody immunization enhances cytotoxicity in rectal cancer patients by specific and nonspecific effector mechanisms.