Immunity to aiethylcholanthrene-induced tumours in inbred rats following atrophy and regression, of the implanted tumours

Abstract

Immunity to transplanted tumours originally induced with methylcholanthrene has been produced in inbred rats following atrophy and regression of tumour grafts ligated so as to restrict their blood supply. The immune response evoked following regression of tumour was found to vary considerably with different tumours. In some cases regression of tumour induced immunity in practically all cured rats, whereas with other tumours none of the cured rats were resistant to re-implants of the original tumour. Repeated subpassaging of tumour did not influence the ability of atrophying tumour to induce tumour resistance, and in cases where it was possible to induce immunity experiments performed with tumours which had been transplanted only a few times were successful. It is suggested that the antigenic stimulus producing immunity to transplanted tumours which were originally induced in inbred rats with methylcholanthrene depends upon immunogenetic differences between tumour and host, and the origin of these differences is discussed. © 1955, The British Empire Cancer Campaign for Research. All rights reserved.