Sheep erythrocyte demonstrated better effect than IL-2 and IFN-gamma as biological response modifier against glioma in experimental model.

ABSTRACT

The significant insights into the immunobiology of central nervous system (CNS) and brain tumor have opened up the feasibility of applying 'Immunotherapy' as an alternative to the poor prognosis of malignant brain tumor with conventional therapeutic approaches. Though cytokines like IL-2 and IFN-gamma used against glioma showed some favorable results by eliciting Th1 type immune response, a proper immunotherapeutic agent is still to be searched for. Sheep erythrocyte (SRBC), a corpuscular antigen showed a better therapeutic efficacy in terms of enhanced survival and augmentation of cell mediated immunity (CMI) in a glioma model developed by chemical carcinogen ethyl nitrosourea. Histological findings revealed most efficient glioma rejection in SRBC and combination biological response modifier (BRM) treated groups. Simultaneously E-rosetting, cytotoxicity of lymphocytes, phagocytosis and antigen presenting capacity of myeloid cells established the better therapeutic efficacy of SRBC alone than other BRMs viz. IL-2 and IFN-gamma. Even the effect of combination therapy of different BRMs showed marginal differences in facilitating glioma reduction than the single use of SRBC. These findings emphasized the application of SRBC as an exogenous BRM having the potential as a rational therapeutic adjunct against glioma.