Duration of in vivo effects of L-asparaginase on experimental metastasis

Abstract

L-ASPARAGINASE has been used to treat various neoplasms in man and animals1-4, and was at first believed to act only on malignant cells which are dependent on asparagine. Clinical investigations, however, indicated that L-asparaginase could itself be antigenic5 and have serious side effects. Moreover, L-asparaginase has been found to lead to suppression of phyto-haemagglutinin-induced blastogenesis of human lymphocytes6-8. Depression of the immune response to sheep red blood cells in mice treated with the enzyme has been reported9. Inhibition of the graft versus host reaction in rats and mice10 as well as reduction of the immune reactivity to an allografted tumour11 have also been observed. © 1971 Nature Publishing Group.